Good Omens
by killingtime09
Summary: After making the mistake of helping an old friend out, a young woman finds herself in a little too deep for her liking. Now she's mixing with the crazies, how long before she becomes one? Crane/OC.
1. Chapter 1

A.N. Hello all, I just wanted to say that I am writing this constantly and already I have a basic idea of where this is going. It's kind of complicated but usually when I get an idea it's in pieces, all that really bothers me is filling in the gaps. This will be an exception (GUDAMMIT!) and I hope you enjoy, any spelling mistakes are my own and I am quite proud of them.

Disclaimer - Aint mine. I don't own Neil Gaiman or Terry Pratchett either, although they are awesome.

**Good Omens.**

The white, anonymous van sat idly by Arkham Asylum's gates. The burly driver bounced his palms against the steering wheel to his own tune, waiting as his colleague finished his conversation with the intercom out of the window. It took no more than a minute before the gates opened slowly, the van moving forward and towards the archaic structure in front.

No one paid any attention to the muttered curses coming from behind the reinforced wall that their seats rested against, the two 'ladies' were chained down quite nicely and even if they did try to lunge at one another from time to time they could never quite reach.

* * *

"You think this is _funny_?" Poison Ivy hissed to her companion, rattling her handcuffs restlessly as the van moved slowly onwards. The woman in question merely carried on smiling dreamily at the roof for a moment longer, blinking out of her stupor a beat too late and facing the red head.

"I'm not laughing," she mumbled, licking at her bloodied and already swelling lip for about the fifth time in as many minutes. "I don't feel too good," Voiced weakly a second later as she ignored the scoff from Ivy, frown in place and trying to ignore the sway of the van.

"Yeah? Well you look like shit," Ivy spat, for a second she almost felt bad as the girl before her gave a rather upset look and stared at her hands. She sighed and changed the subject, no way was she going to apologise for telling the truth.

She did look bad; cut lip, blood in her hairline and the beginning of a large bruise on her cheekbone. The lighting within did nothing to help either, making her face seem hallow with the sharp cheekbones and wide eyes. "I've only been out for a month too," she grumbled, catching the other girl bristle a little.

"It wasn't even my fault," Ivy looked up, disbelief as the girl ploughed on. "Do you think I wanna be here Red? I'm small time, I do bank jobs and sometimes I blow stuff up," she paused to glare at the van beside Ivy's head. "An _asylum!_" she spat in disbelief whilst shaking her head solemly, as if the very idea was ludicrous.

"Oh yes," Ivy crossed her legs, looking smug. "I forgot, you've never been to one before, have you?" No answer. "Oh well, it was only a matter of time," The girl lunged weakly, her face an unhealthy white as her chains only allowed her to stand if she crouched. Ivy laughed, not really seeing what was funny but enjoying the distraction.

The van slowed, their conversation died with the sound of two guards getting out of the van and walking around to the back.

"It'll be fine," Ivy whispered, catching the wide eyes of her friend as she positioned herself easily and grinned. It took a moment for her reasoning to become clear before the doors opened, silhouetting two burly men as they automatically made a grab for Ivy. "Easy boys," she purred, seeming to uncurl in her seat and stretch like a cat. "I do bruise easily." Her friend laughed quietly, watching the guards faces change and flush. A second later she was standing and hauled out, followed by the bloodied girl.

Ivy turned with the sound of a scuffle, catching sight of the brunette as she fell almost on her face and laughed pathetically. She rolled her eyes as the guard helped her up, watching as she swayed on the spot. "I'm dizzy." she stated in a deadpan voice, eyes serious - if a little unfocused.

"I think she may have concussion," she purred and leaned into the guard, enjoying the way his Adam's apple bobbed quickly. "That's a bump on the head, in layman's terms." Ivy received a shove in the back from the guard and a childlike laugh from her friend, walking onwards and glaring at the looming building before her.

* * *

It didn't take long before Poison Ivy was sashaying down an all too familiar hallway, ignoring the wolf whistles and cat calls from the cells she passed and resisting the urge to shake off the vice like grip the guards had on her arms. It wasn't until she heard a familiar shriek that she turned her head, giving a somewhat tired smile as Harley Quinn bounced happily behind a sheet of plexiglass. Her pigtails bouncing merrily with each jump, the girl looked ready to start clapping at any moment.

"Red! You're back!" she stated the obvious, thankfully Ivy was still marching onwards and so the blonde didn't catch the slight roll of the eyes she received.

"What can I say Harls? I can't keep away." The shriek of laughter almost made her smile, almost.

------------------

_Only a prologue, other chapters will be longer than this one. x_


	2. Chapter 2

A.N. Part two, yay. Enjoy. Disclaimer - Not mine, weren't mine last time, sucks now as much as it did then.

**Chapter 2**

The brunette swayed her legs slowly from the doctor's surgery bed she sat on, eyes downcast from the too bright lights. The guard to the office had watched with slight amusement as she had climbed for a fair few minutes onto the bed, huffing and sighing before finally getting on.

Now the only problem was getting down again.

She didn't have too much time to think it through as the door opened and a man in a white coat stepped in, watching her with as much curiosity as the brunette gave him. He stepped forward, giving the guard a brief nod as he did so.

"Grayson, is it?" he asked, waiting for a beat as the girl frowned. Her head felt like lead but at the same time like cotton wool; everything too heavy yet dreamy all the same.

"Huh?" He paused, flicking through the papers on his clipboard with a frown. "Nicky Grayson?" he asked again, checking the woman to her photo as he did so.

"Oh," she perked up, regretting it a moment later as a stab of pain shot through her forehead. "That's me doc," A wavering grin, wincing a little.

"I'm Doctor Michaels, I just wanted to give you a little check up," No reply, he edged forward with a sigh. "You've taken quite a battering," Nicky frowned, crossing her arms defiantly.

"Hey," A finger was waggled. "I gave as good as I got," she started indignantly, sniffing before conceding in a small voice. "It was dark." She clamped her mouth shut as the doc prodded at the weeping cut on her head, resisting the urge to push his hand away. The blood on his fingers when he pulled back didn't put her mind at rest, neither did the muffled 'hmmm' before he checked her lip.

"What's the verdict, Doc?" She grinned ruefully. "Will I ever play the piano again?"He gave her a look - a look that said something along the lines of 'I've heard that one before' - before answering in a low voice.

"Unless you plan on playing it with your face, I don't see why not." The shriek of laughter that followed made him jump with it's sudden appearance, although it was cut short when he touched again at the bruise on her cheekbone. She merely winced, tilting her head back.

The bruises that were forming on her ribs and arms on the other hand, they earned him a nice shriek before she pushed him away with a foot to the stomach.

* * *

Nicky was already starting to feel drowsy, straining to rub at the sting from the needle not ten minutes ago with her hands shackled. The shrieks of excitement from the inmates were not helping her headache, but they were stopping the drowsiness from overcoming her.

She looked down with distain at the grey ensemble she currently wore, grey shirt and grey pants really did nothing for her. Still, the shirt didn't have blood on it like her other one so it wasn't all bad. She prodded at the butterfly stitches on her forehead gingerly, remembering a second too late just how much it hurt.

Her guard steered her quickly around a corner, calling out to a doctor down the hall over the ruckus. The woman turned, arms crossed and a permanent look of curiosity on her face. With slow steps to rival her guards eager ones, they stopped before her and ignored the way Nicky stumbled with the loss of momentum.

For a few minutes she stared at the two conversing, trying her best to lip read before giving up entirely with a heavy sigh. She looked around, to the empty cell to her left that was obviously going to be her 'room' and along to the cells where inmates were screaming and cheering.

Really? This level of excitement to someone new? It was like a frat party yet with a very odd theme.

A reflection of light caught her eye, causing her to double take and squint into a cell mostly concealed in shadows. Someone was sitting on a bed, long legs curled up as they sat against a wall. The room was silent, one of only a very few who didn't feel the need to scream and shout.

No other movements gave them away, but curiosity got the better of her and Nicky leaned forward to somehow see better.

A tug on her arm halted her investigation as she was manoeuvred into the empty cell, her handcuffs swiftly removed as she nearly flopped onto the bed. She winced, the bed too hard as her brain rattled in her head. Bad move, she gripped it with both hands and gave a hiss of pain.

"Miss Grayson," An amused voice echoed at her, making her squint open an eye to the woman standing behind the glass. The same woman as before, white coat and tight bun still in place. "I am Doctor Leland, how's your head?"

"Peachy Doc!" she hollered over the dying noise, wincing at her own voice.

The good doc chuckled, arms crossed with a slightly 'motherly' look on her face. "I've been told you've been given something for the pain, I'd try to catch some sleep." And with the Leland walked away, heels clicking without a sound through the shrieks that were still piercing the air every few seconds.

"Easy for _you_ to say!" she yelled, groaning a moment later as her head pounded heavily.

* * *

Nicky had never been a morning person, if it wasn't midday then it was too early.

Yet obviously the guards hadn't been informed, as they were setting off the alarm that rang shrilly through every cell within Arkham. Wrapping her head in the thin, grey blanket didn't seem to help much either. People were already being ushered out of their rooms as a guard knocked heavily on the glass door. Nicky sat up slowly, her blanket/turban in place with a hand on her head to steady it.

He moved down the corridor, already waking the few inmates who were lucky enough to block out the noise.

She glared angrily at the small speaker set into the wall, the ringing in her ears becoming unbearable as she growled through gritted teeth. "Just shut up, I'm awake," The ringing continued, camera pointed towards her. "You can see I'm awake! Shut up!"

A guard was back by her door, key card in hand.

"I'll have a black coffee and a muffin!" she waved them away with her free hand, ignoring the way Ivy was smirking with a blonde whilst she passed. Accompanied by the faceless crowd, she soon disappeared and Nicky - already bored of Arkham - unwrapped her head and walked with the crowd.

The movement came with a hiss of pain, the muscles in her shoulders knotting as she gritted her teeth and stood. Her chaperone soon left her side to release a few other inmates from the cell, leaving Nicky to walk sullenly with the crowd, head down with the throbbing migraine.

It wasn't until she someone's feet came into focus did she realise Ivy had waited, grabbing her chin with a finger and thumb as she turned her face left to right. She prodded at the temporary stitches, giving a twist of her lips as she did so. "How was your first night?"

"Horrid," she answered dryly as they walked on, ushering through the crowd easily. "Room service sucked and I didn't even get my cocoa,"

Ivy snorted, face going blank a moment later.

Shortly afterwards Nicky was once again blinded by the bright, artificial lights that seemed to pierce her brain angrily. Squinting, she followed the flaming red hair of her friend and bumped clumsily into a table she failed to see.

A male voice sighed but she was too disorientated to distinguish which of the person like blurs it was, a hand on her shoulder steered her into a chair which she almost fell into. Her eyes finally focused on someone who was grinning at her in a madly infectious way, pigtails and blue eyes completing the angelic appearance.

"Hi, kid!" she chimed happily, making Nicky smile even if she had no idea why. "Whose this Red?"

"This," Ivy sighed heavily as she sat beside the girl, graceful as ever and putting Nicky to shame even more. "Is Nicky, she was filling in your role for the last heist," A glare was sent at the blonde, receiving nothing in return but a coy smile and a shrug. "Nicky, this is Harley Quinn,"A hand was under her nose before she could fathom where it had come from, Harley still beaming at her.

She shook the hand, lips tight to fight the urge to grin back - even if he lips were itching to stretch upwards.

"Pleased ta meet cha'," Ivy rolled her eyes once, settling on the trays that were slid along the table. Nicky did the same, a look of disgust soon wiping away the growing smile.

"Umm, is this pottery class or something?" Nicky muttered, picking up the plastic spoon by her side and prodding experimentally at the lump on her plate. It looked - for want of a better phrase - like regurgitated cat food.

Harley laughed, something which was growing on her as she shook her head fiercely. Her pigtails swung about her, hitting Ivy on the ear - which she ignored - and the man by her side in the eye.

He looked up with piercing blue eyes, lips twisted and with one eye closed tightly. He gave a cough, waiting for Harley to slowly turn before raising his eyebrows. The first thing she realised were his eyes; such a shocking blue that she couldn't help but look twice, sharp features that made him look a little vulnerable and feminine… Yet menacing all the same.

She backtracked on the word feminine, watching the way his eyes turned calculating to the room and it's inhabitants. He looked - what was the word? - dangerous, unhinged to say the least.

"Uhh, hi Johnny," she gave a little wave, for some strange reason Ivy was suddenly paying attention and smirking a little. Harley looked lost, unsure what he wanted and too confused to turn back around.

"Although I'm sure the circumstances warranted it, could you keep your hair out of my face?" he muttered, one eye still squinted shut and a voice too calm to be healthy.

"Aww, _Johnny_," Ivy purred, relishing in the way 'Johnny' stiffened in his seat. "Harls here has got to get your attention somehow."

He said nothing, sighing heavily as he turned back to his tray. Harley jabbed a finger in his direction and spoke, voice in a stage whisper. "Jonathan Crane," Nicky gave her a blank look, followed by a shrug. "You aint ever heard of him?" she asked in disbelief, a laugh in her voice as she turned back to Crane. "Ouch,"

"Oh, shut up." he muttered, giving her an icy glare which Harley merely waved off.

"She's never been to Gotham, Harley," Ivy stated, finally shovelling a spoonful of food into her mouth and pulling a face. Nicky looked to hers, spooning a little before she watched it pensively.

She glanced at Harley as she sighed theatrically, leaning across the table and continuing her stage whisper. "Johnny here used to be a doctor," she widened her eyes for effect, nodding to Nicky's questioning look. A finger was twirled daintily by her head, eyes crossed briefly. "Until he lost it,"

_Johnny_ didn't look too happy at all, hand balling into a fist as he glared at Harley. She wasn't paying attention, Nicky just about caught his eyes as he turned back around. Only catching his stare for a moment before his head was lowered a little to block her gaze, she smirked at the gesture. "A doctor of what?" she asked lightly, eyeing the spoon in her hand for a moment before ignoring it once again.

"Psychiatry," Ivy answered just as Jonathan opened his mouth, instead shooting Nicky another glance before a very tight lipped smile that lasted all of a second. "I had a few sessions with you actually, didn't I _Johnny_?" she turned to glance at Jonathan briefly, not really taking any notice. "Got out before the experiments started, thankfully," she sent a shrewd smirk Nicky's way, predicting Jonathan's temper.

"Thank you, Ivy," he growled, shooting her a glare - he seemed to like glaring - before the table descended into silence. Nicky carried on staring at her spoon, willing the food to turn into a pancake but with no luck. Harley watched her with wide eyes, finally gaining her attention before she jolted her head forward as a nod.

"Are you going to eat that, or have a staring match with it?"

With that, Nicky plopped the spoon in her mouth. Automatically she blanched - causing not only Harley and Ivy to smirk, but a slightly boyish grin from Crane - before swallowing audibly. She sipped at her water, resisting the urge to scrape her tongue. "Well," A slight cough as the lump seemed to stick to her throat, her voice sounded strained. "I won't be leaving a tip for the chef."

* * *

The room was alive with activity as everyone found something to do, Nicky finding herself being dragged over to a worn settee before being forced down onto it. She caught sight of Harley jumping over the armrest, positioning herself by her side as Ivy sashayed over at a much more sedate pace.

Looking over the arm rest she caught sight of an armchair - also looking like it was on it's last legs - with a half full bookcase to it's side. Squished into the corner, it looked a little forgotten and she started to feel sorry for it - before remembering that it wasn't sane to feel pity for furniture. Almost as soon as she'd sat down, Nicky sprang back up again and hastily made her way to the bookcase.

"Hey! You're gonna miss Looney Tunes!" Harley nearly shrieked as if the very idea was absurd, maybe it was in her world. Actually, Nicky kind of liked them too and hurried her search as the theme song rang out. Scanning the titles she was disappointed to find mostly tattered old copies of books that she could instantly imagine in a retirement home.

She slid out one that caught her eye, a sci fi she had read as a teenager and remembering how it had utterly confused her at the time. She turned swiftly to go back to her seat and bounced her forehead off Jonathan Crane's clavicle, resulting in both of them hissing in pain.

Hand plastered to her forehead, her fringe covered one eye like a curtain but the pain was too intense to let go. The little jig she did on the spot didn't seem to help either as she glanced up at Crane, biting his lip and gripping just below his neck.

"Sorry." she muttered, obvious pain in her voice as she adjusted her weight from one foot to the next. He waved her off, rubbing where she'd connected with him as the two parted. Nicky nearly jogged back to the couch, book in hand and headache forming once again.

* * *

All too soon the guards were ushering people back out of the rec room, moving slowly as Harley carried on flicking channels with a sigh. Ivy had long ago gone over to the one potted plant in the room, seeming to have a conversation with the shrub - even if it was very one sided.

Nicky stood, reading as she walked and held one hand out as she went. A quick glance at the wall told her it was only 12, time seemed to slow in Arkham. With a mental shrug she searched the room for some kind of bookmark, something to slip between the pages she was on and found nothing. She did find one Mr Crane, nodding off in the old armchair and head drooping towards the tomb of a book he was reading.

She considered tapping him, maybe even shouting 'BOO!' really loud but then realised that wasn't the best thing to do to someone in an asylum. Instead she edged around him, ripping a corner from a book that looked like it was already torn to shreds.

A snort of breath and he was facing forward, blinking away the sleep with an open mouth. He wore glasses that had slipped all the way down to the tip of his nose, threatening to fall before he shoved them back on fully. He didn't seem surprised by Nicky's presence, didn't even seen to notice her yet she was sure he had.

"Wakey wakey!" she chimed, voice lacking the cheer as she laid her book on the shelf.

"Quite right, I can sleep all I want in my cell." he muttered followed by a slight yawn, saying no more as he stood and left. She hardly heard the movement other than the squeaking of the chair, followed by the heavy book on the table.

* * *

Everyone was a little more subdued as they returned to their cell, only one inmate having the enthusiasm to barrel into a guard with his head to the man's stomach. Harley shrieked a laugh by her side, clapping her chained hands together in glee as the three girls watched the show unfold.

It didn't last long enough - as Harley screamed for a rematch - before Ivy was leaning over her and whispering in her ear, her sultry voice almost making Nicky shiver. "We may joke around with Crane," A pause as Nicky made to look around the crowded corridor, stopping as she caught sight of dark hair and ice blue eyes. He was watching the fight, half in his cell… The cell of her casual observer from yesterday, the light playing upon his glasses. "But don't let him get into your head, okay?" she muttered, already searching in case of guards.

"What?"

"It's like a _sport_ for him," she stepped back, giving a little shrug and a muttered goodbye as she turned. With that, Nicky was steered into her cell and left to make faces as Harley skipped past.

She took five paces into the room, leaving no more than an inch in front of her face that didn't consist of wall. Spreading her arms to each side, her fingertips just touched both walls if she stretched. She nearly laughed, instead watching the blinking red eye of a camera in her room. She walked out of it's line of sight, growling as the thing bloody followed the movement.

For a while a little 'game' started - who was quicker. It turned out, the machine was but Nicky was willing to call it a draw when she came to stand directly beneath it - effectively out of it's line of sight. For some reason, it felt good to outsmart a camera.

She stopped when an older man with quite large teeth and thin blonde hair stared at her in wonder, the madman was questioning _her_ sanity!


	3. Chapter 3

A.N. Oh haiiii, yeah this is an update (DUH) so enjoy.

**Chapter 3. **

She must have dozed off at some point - or at least fallen into a half asleep state - she realised as she flew into a seated position on her bed. The thumping on the plexiglass once again signalled her time to get up, this time something she did with a little vigour. Laying down for hours on end on what felt like rocks wasn't her idea of fun, but each to their own.

Only when she was outside did she realise she was the only inmate, the corridor deserted as she turned to the guard now locking her cell again. "Oh, let me guess," A moments pause. "We're going for ice cream?" The guard smirked, pushing her to walk backwards down the hall. She deliberately ignored the room two down from hers, feeling a little self conscious even as she passed and turning to walk forward only afterwards. "No, what about a milkshake then?"

No answer, some people couldn't take a joke.

She rounded a corner, frown in place before spotting Leland - still looking doctor-ey - leaning out of a doorway. She grinned charmingly, earning herself a taut smile in return. Without another word she was steered inside, finding herself before a cluttered desk and forced into a plush seat.

"Hello Miss Grayson, may I call you Nicky?" Leland asked politely, sitting behind her desk as the big guy closed the door behind him.

"Sure," she gave a shrug, already allowing her eyes to scan the room. Every wall had at least one bookcase against it, all crammed with dusty old books that held little or no interest to her. The only thing that did catch her eye was the window behind the doc, of course it was raining.

Somehow that made her feel even more down.

"Well, I just wanted to tell you about your therapy schedule; you'll be seeing me on-"

"Excuse me?" Nicky interrupted, finger aloft with a wrinkled brow. Leland looked just as confused. "Therapy?"

"Yes, as a inmate at Arkham you're required to participate -"

She interrupted again, secretly enjoying the put out look on the good doc's face. "What? Lots of tissues and I tell you about my bad childhood?" she nearly laughed, putting on a clipped tone as she spoke next. "It is all in the mind, or how about," she gave a slight cough, her voice straining to sound older. "He who pays the piper, plays the tune,"

Leland went to speak but stopped, giving Nicky a look that could only be classified as annoyed yet amused. "It's nothing like that, we merely deal with any," A slight pause as she considered the words. "Issues, you may have,"

"Only issue I have is sitting in an asylum with a bunch of, of," Nicky waved a hand in the air as she tried to find the right words, sighing when nothing came to mind. "Loonies, when I'm not even mad,"

"You were working with Poison Ivy?" she almost smirked, finding her footing once more. Nicky was silent. "In our book, that puts you in the same class as Miss Isley,"

"Red isn't mad," Nicky frowned, finding herself looking down on Leland suddenly… Oh, that's right, she'd jumped to her feet. Leland looked halfway between amused and concerned, her features at war for a moment.

A sigh later and Nicky sat down, legs jumping to fight off the mad urge to walk around. Head raised as Leland spoke, the muscle in her jaw seeming to lock in place once or twice as she gritted her teeth. "I don't understand why you give such loyalty to someone like Miss Isley, the reason that you're here,"

Nicky gaped, mouth open before a surprised giggle bubbled from her throat.

"Ah, well. You're the doc, find it out," she gave the older woman a conspiring wink, tapping the side of her nose. "So, let's have a look at this schedule shall we?" Leland looked like she was going to question her some more, stopping herself just in time and trying to give a shrug of indifference.

* * *

Nicky was sulking.

Sure, ask her and she would of denied it straight away - even if the denial came with a pout and a frown - before storming away. She violently yanked her arm away from the guard's grip, breathing heavily through her nose as they passed through the corridor, the woman automatically stopping outside her own cell and waiting.

The guard gave her a shove, sending her stumbling further down the corridor.

Before long she was back in the rec room, making her way towards Harley as the woman waved. Ivy seemed to interested in the wall to deign her with more than a raised brow as she sat - or fell - into her chair. The two women didn't speak for a moment, Ivy looked bored and Harley looked confused.

"They've given me some 'therapy' sessions on Monday and Thursday, sort through the crap in my head," she immediately stood again, pacing back and forth behind the couch. "I might just lie, come out with how much mummy didn't love me and sent me away to a boarding school," A moments pause. "It's ridiculous."No one spoke.

"What did you expect?" Ivy drawled, examining a nail. "This is an Asylum,"

Nicky clicked her fingers, pointing at the back of Ivy's head. "Exactly, I shouldn't even be here," Once again no one spoke, although this time she could tell both were dying to say something. "Oh, whatever," she waved a hand angrily, marching back over to the bookcase and grabbing at her book without so much as looking around.

"This isn't the best way to prove your sanity, you know," Jonathan drawled, rubbing one eye under his glasses and keeping the other on her. He looked amused, lips twitching as Nicky had to fight the urge to hit him with her paperback.

"Says the daffy doc," she smirked and crossed her arms, once again becoming angry as Jonathan did nothing more than nod with a amused quirk to his lips.

"What is it that's angering you so?" he leaned forward, eyes half closed and smirk still halfway there. "A few secrets to hide?"

She said nothing, glaring at the man before her. She leaned in, sending a few looks over her shoulder just to peak his interest. It almost worked, his gaze turning suspicious and an almost studying gaze to fall over his features. She stood silent for a moment longer, allowing the atmosphere to build before whispering in a deadly tone.

"Ivy told me all about you, Johnny," she spat the last word, ignoring the way he tilted away from her a tiny bit. "And I don't fancy becoming one of your projects." With that she gave him a childish smile, walking calmly away and ignoring the feeling of being watched. No sooner had she sat back down, Ivy was leaning into her side and whispering furiously.

"I told you about him, didn't I?" she gave the girl a scowl, scrunching her forehead . It would have been adorable if it wasn't for the bared teeth.

"Yeah, I was just telling him to get lost,"

"And now you've peaked his interest, well done." She leaned away, suddenly the conversation had ended and Harley was asking her about her hair. Grabbing at the shorter layers on top, somehow amused by the way it sprung up a little by itself.

She felt like the girl's kitten, although unable to refuse the surprised laugh when she wrapped an arm around her head and turned her attention back to the television.

--------------

"So, why did she agree to take you along?" Nicky sighed, giving Leland a scowl as she tapped her chained hands against her stomach. Her first therapy session was going far too slowly, mostly because Nicky had been watching the clock on Leland's desk like it was going to explode.

"Because," she paused, really unsure of the reasoning herself. "I can hack, I know electrics, she needed me to disable the bank's alarm," A frown, that didn't really explain it. "I'm sure she did, but there's so many other people in Gotham who can do exactly the same," Leland sounded confused, echoing Nicky's thoughts.

"Suppose," A shrug that made the leather couch beneath her shoulders squeak, the irony wasn't lost on her either - a therapy session, lying on a leather couch. All Leland needed was a thick moustache and a pipe. She heard a sigh at her answer, biting her lip to stop the smile that itched to come out.

"How well do you know Poison Ivy?"

"Well, my mum knew her when she was Pamela Isley, is that good enough?" she quipped as her boredom took over completely, the session had gotten nowhere and she still had twenty minutes. By the way Leland was rubbing at her brow, the woman agreed.

"But you, how do you know Ivy?"

Nicky took the time out from glaring at the ceiling to glaring at the doc, really this was more boring than sitting in her cell. What would the woman gain from this? Then again, whatever she said could be used again at some later point.

"I used to pop in to see mum, maybe for an hour or so," Leland took a note, realising the dread but not knowing why she felt it. "They worked on the same floor, one day I was wandering and you know, we just got talking," she waved a hand in the air, trying to remember just how they'd started chatting away so easily.

Sure, Pamela had always been a little frosty even before she'd become Poison Ivy. It had been fun though, talking to someone who didn't call her 'Grayson's kid.'

"Your mother shared the same views as Pamela," she pulled a single sheet from her folder, lowering her glasses to scan the script with a critical eye. "A great love of plants, a wonder in their usefulness. It says here she even helped her establish the use of plant toxins for use as a general anaesthetic. Was there a friendship?"

"I dunno," Nicky muttered, knowing exactly what Leland was getting at. Stupid, stupid she chastised herself, fighting the urge to punch her own leg.

"You must have an idea! I mean your mother and Ivy worked at the lab together for nearly 6 years -"

"They worked in the same place, not together. Doesn't mean they went to the movies and shared a plate of spaghetti of an evening," she spat, glaring over at the doc as she felt her argument lose steam. Leland already knew the answers, she just wanted Nicky to admit them.

To her surprise, Leland laughed. Rubbing at her cheek, she soon stopped the giggles and coughed lightly. "I'm sorry, I'm not saying that. I'm just trying to establish your background,"

"You already know it, stop playing doc," she turned her face away from Leland, staring angrily at the opposite wall and digging her nails into her hand.

How dare she? Sit there and play her like a violin, like she was stupid? As if she couldn't see the woman's trail of thought, as if Nicky herself hadn't stumbled across the idea so many times over the years. You didn't have to be a therapist to make the link, it was almost insulting.

"You think I cling to Ivy because she's a motherly figure, that after my mum died I've allowed the idea to enter my little head that Ivy could become a replacement." She laughed suddenly, watching Leland scribble furiously on her pad. "Like just because my mum was on friendly terms with Ivy, in my silly little mind that constituted her becoming my fairy godmother,"

"On some level, don't you believe that's true?" Leland asked quietly, her voice full of curiosity but at the same time doubt. "I mean, you were 20 at the time. Your mother died of a sudden heart attack and you hadn't seen your father in 5 years. It'd only be natural to seek guidance from another,"She laughed loudly once, rolling her eyes as her guard came back into the room.

The session was over, thank god.

"Come on doc, you think if that was even the tiniest bit true, Ivy would let me entertain the idea?" Leland frowned, obviously deep in thought. "Not a chance."

* * *

A.N Another disclaimer, this is for all chapters. Not mine, won't be no matter how hard I beg, cry, whinge and scream for it. Which really is a shame, I'd look after it real nice too.


	4. Chapter 4

A.N. Hey all, another update. It's gonna start getting good now (too many G's in that sentence). I've been playing Batman: Arkham Asylum non stop and replaying the scarecrow bits, so when I finally started writing more it was under an hour before I'd written about 15 pages more. (Awesome) Enjoy.

**Chapter 4.**

Later in her cell, Nicky tried not to let the session enter her head again. She had already analysed the hour she had spent with Leland, coming back with nothing incriminating and breathing a sigh of relief for it. She hadn't put herself or Ivy in any more trouble, kept things very secretive for the most part in fact. Not that she could get in more trouble, given her current position - but she'd face Arkham rather than Ivy's anger any day.

For one thing it'd piss Ivy off big time if they suddenly became some kind of duo in the doc's head , and not to forget the numerous other 'little jobs' she had allowed her to attend. She knew how Ivy worked, knew she was merely playing a part and when that part was finished she was sent away with a nice bit of money. She was convenient.

No, that wasn't right. Ivy had came to her, asking for help. She wasn't some puppet on a string, was she?

Great, an hour in the 'good doc's' company and she was already doubting her own decisions. She fumed a little over the very idea before realising the commotion in the corridor, the sound of people being ushered out of their cells.

She pouted a little, the last meal of the day had already passed and there was nothing else to do in the usual routine. Every other day she had sat in her cell for hours on end, waiting for morning when it would all start again.

She was already standing rigidly by the plexiglass when a guard came by to open her cell, giving the man a shock as she watched him with an innocent expression. He gave her a strange look, sliding the key card through the terminal and taking half a step back as she poked her head around the moving glass.

"What's going on?" she frowned, stepping fully out of her cell and staring down the corridor. Instead of waiting for an answer she charged after Harley, nudging the girl with her shoulder as they walked together. "Where we going?" A moment later, she scanned the crowd for a flash of red hair. "Where's Ivy?" she muttered, eyes still scanning the crowd.

"Red's got therapy, we're going to the exercise yard," Harley grabbed her hand and started tugging her through the crowd, pushing through the open door at the end and into the searing sunlight. Both blinked stupidly on the spot for a while, realising after a moment that they weren't the only ones to be temporarily blinded.

"You get used to it," Harley muttered, palm rubbing at her eyes but her irises stayed like pinpricks. "Hatty!" she shrieked suddenly, making Nicky jumped back a pace or two. The girl was already skipping over to a man with blonde hair and teeth that protruded a little when he smiled. As her sight became clear, she finally identified him as the man across from her.

The man who had unfortunately caught her little battle of wits with the camera.

She sat heavily against a fence, the heel of her brandless trainers kicking the ground as she tried to soak up the sun as much as possible. It was a kind of warmth she hadn't felt in nearly a week, the natural rays of the sun. For a moment she felt bad for Ivy, spending an hour away from it all and briefly wondered how long they'd even be out in the yard.

It must have been fifteen minutes of people watching before she realised she was falling asleep, head resting on her bent knees with her arms wrapped around them. Effectively blocking out the sun, yet she was nicely warmed and very drowsy. With a start she sat up, knocking the metal fence with her head and making it jangle nicely.

She wasn't surprised to find Crane by her side, chuckling silently as she rubbed at her head with a hiss. "What do you want, Crane?" she muttered, red staining her cheeks with embarrassment. He gave her a look, a certain look that was hard to understand with the light behind him. She was mostly talking to a shadow, his eyes glistening slightly.

"Nothing at all, Grayson," he muttered an emphasis on the last part, keeping his tone neutral but at the same time clipped. "I just wanted to let you know about Doctor Leland," he stated simply, watching her with a smirk growing. The dare to ask more written all over his face.

The question of how he knew her second name came to mind, although she resisted the urge to ask.

She turned away, forcing herself not to make conversation and going back to studying the yard. After a minute, she couldn't resist turning back to the man beside her with a sigh. "What about her?" she sighed, giving in and regretting it the moment she did.

Jonathan seemed to come out of a trance, watching the sky before blinking slowly at her. "About who?"

_"Leland!"_

He grinned, openly instead of one of his tight lipped smirks. He looked childlike, almost gleeful as she took an interest in the conversation. For a moment she wanted to grin too, resisting the urge and twisting her lips into a look of annoyance. "Ah," he said with a sigh, folding his hands neatly across his lap.

"Ah?" The two stared evenly at one another, Jonathan the picture of innocence as he blinked dumbly at her. His eyes widened considerably before he spoke.

"Oh, you wanted me to continue?"

"Crane," she hissed, crossing her arms and biting lightly on the inside of her mouth.

"If you insist, _dear_," he smirked and continued, noting the way she was dying to argue over the name before he ploughed on. "Leland is old school," he stated simply, watching as the woman beside him waited for more.

Half a minute passed before she growled, throwing herself back into the fence. "How is that helping?" Her voice rose an octave, the glint in her eye telling anyone who cared to look she was fed up.

"It means, Nicky," he paused with a frown. "May I call you Nicky?" she glared in response, allowing the silence to grow - along with his amusement. Finally she sighed and nodded once, urging him on with her eyes. "It means she believes every problem roots from your childhood; every time you act up or pity yourself, it all comes back to that time your mother sent you to bed early," his voice took on a whiny note towards the end that almost made her laugh, nodding once with a tiny hint of pride in his voice as he continued. "Obviously I'm exaggerating the last one,"

"Obviously, otherwise we're all screwed," Nicky mused more to herself than anything, looking to Jonathan as he smirked tightly for a second.

"Not the term I would use, but yes,"

Silence followed his words, both sitting quite comfortably as Nicky frowned at her own knees for what seemed like an age. "So, how does that help me?" she mused and not a second later Crane was explaining, he had obviously been waiting.

"If she wants tragic childhood memories, give them to her!" Nicky frowned, ready to tell him where he could stick that idea before he shrugged a little and turned away. "No one said they had to be true; Leland thinks I lived in a run down little house with a selection of 'lodgers' and a mum who had a, shall we say" his voice dropped. "A questionable career concerning the local men,"

Nicky was silent for a moment, contemplating both the information from Crane and his possible story. "So, none of it's true?"

"Of course it isn't," Nicky waited for him to continue, which he didn't and so she turned her attention back to the yard with a shrug.

"Oh," he nodded once by her side, both of them silent for a long while. "Why did you tell me that?" she asked suddenly, suspicion heightening in an instant. "That doesn't mean you're suddenly okay to go ahead evaluating me, I'd take Leland any day,"

To her surprise, he snorted softly in disbelief. "I wouldn't be so sure, but that is not my reasoning," It was Nicky's turn to snort, arms resting against her knees without turning to face him. "You know nothing of Arkham or it's doctors, Leland's theories are a well known fact between _regulars_," Nicky hid her grin in the crook of her arm to his tone, sure that Jonathan saw it.

"Yeah, well," she hesitated with the words, knowing as soon as they were out in the open there was no way to take them back. "Thanks." Jonathan nodded once, yet Nicky just knew he would speak again shortly. Just by the way he flicked his gaze to her once, tongue prodding the inside of his cheek.

"May I ask you something?"

"Depends what it is," Answered automatically, straightening her position to catch his expression. He looked to be contemplating his wording.

"What were you and Ivy doing before you got caught?" she gave him a frown, trying to define any way that kind of information could be of use to him. "I mean, the job. What was it?"

"Bank job, she was low on funds and I was bored out of my mind," she grinned a little mischievously, receiving a tight yet joking smile in return and a raised brow.

"She asked for your help?"

"Yeah, just rang me on day out of the blue. I didn't have anything else going so thought why not," A shrug, Nicky looked around at her current company in the yard. "Kind of regretting it now,"

"You thought you were bored before," he muttered, crossing his legs at the ankle before him. It had turned very friendly, like two people starting up a conversation. Could have been anywhere, yet was made suspicious in the circumstances. And topic. "What were you doing? Back- up or…"

"Bit of everything," Nicky scratched at her hair line, hissing as she caught the butterfly stitches with a nail. "I'm quite a good hacker, electronics and such. The bank had a laser system that would of taken a good hour to get around, so I just turned it off," Jonathan muttered a little 'hmm', catching her attention with his tone.

"I'm sure it was more complicated than pulling a plug," She smiled. "What about the cuts, bad fall?"

"Ah, that was afterwards," she explained, continuing without a thought. "We weren't the only 'interested parties' in the bank, by the time we got out there was already 4 guys coming in. They didn't like the fact that we'd got there first,"

"A bit of a fighter, are we?" Asked with humour in his voice, surveying her quickly for any other marks he may of missed. Nicky gave a shrug, fighting the urge to tell him just how clumsy she could be at times.

"Not especially, but I can throw a punch or two."

"Nicky!" A voice shouted across the yard, hands on her hips as the girl in question quickly stumbled to her feet. Ivy gave her a short wave to come closer, eyeing both her and Jonathan who was still sitting smugly against the fence.

She didn't catch the look, a look that would of told her she had already given the man an idea.

* * *

Jonathan Crane sat with his back against the wall, his legs hanging off the side of his bed as his usual guard came into the room. The man swiped his key and entered, biting his lip as he turned to Crane. "You have to be quick, Sir," the man said in a humble voice, Jonathan just grinned and hopped off the bed. "I tried to get you a little longer, but you've only got 20 minutes before the end of my shift and -"

"Shut up, would you Richard?" he asked the man in a steely whisper, already walking from the room and noting with a hint of satisfaction that the blinking red light of his camera was temporarily out. The fool had been good for something, then.

At first it had started out as something to pass the time, the plan being to talk Richard into committing suicide. A little hobby until he broke out, that's all. That was until a week ago, when he found someone new to play with. It hadn't been as easy as he had thought, after their little conversation in the yard she had kept her space. Whenever he saw her she was either with Harley or Ivy… Or both. She had kept it up for two full weeks now! Avoiding him at all costs, staying close to Ivy as soon as the two had made up.

It was, to be frightfully honest, quite boring.

So, Richard had come in handy and Jonathan didn't have to get another guard after the first decided to take a swing from the rafters by his tie. Although it could be quite fun to start again, maybe turn it into a little competition with himself - getting it down to a fine art and in record time. The simpleton had broken so easily, it had been almost disappointing.

He strode quickly into the last office at the end of the corridor, the wall to his left practically full of camera feeds as he scanned them all quickly. Everyone was asleep, his cell camera showing nothing but static and the hallways empty save for Richard standing awkwardly outside his cell.

Nicky was lying on her front, one leg sticking out of the thin sheets and at a slightly odd angle. Both arms flung over the single bed, her hair a messy pile on top of her head. He had a sudden mad urge to set off the morning alarm clock 8 hours early, just to watch her flail.

Tearing his gaze from the feed, he started scanning the row of filing cabinets to his right. Finally finding G - L, he paused a moment with the odd click in the corridor. Holding his breath he waited, only relaxing after a minute and releasing his breath in a quiet sigh. He pulled her file, holding the sheets towards the screens for light as he began reading.

It was… boring. No family, no previous diagnosis, no prison log or even criminal record - save for a lone entry of shoplifting at the age of 16, but that didn't count. It wasn't until he came to Leland's notes that his hope picked up; Leland was always very colourful with her opinion when she thought no one would see.

But he had seen, on many occasions. His own notes had him laughing for a good 20 minutes.

_1st session - quiet, sarcastic, a nightmare to talk to. Defensive over her mother and P. Ivy (Prisoner No - 1395). Sees Ivy as motherly figure(?) - doubtful now. Turned into a right little bitch when I offered up that idea._

_2nd session - colourful, more forthcoming with information. Sees Ivy as role model - admitted it! - and seems to follow her whenever possible. Family home not idyllic, father absent most of her childhood and mother too consumed by work. No siblings, no grandparents or relatives except for one individual subject would only refer to as Uncle B. Would not speak more about uncle, seemed to grow upset._

Jonathan stifled a laugh, she was playing the sexual abuse card. How lovely, not very original but she was only dealing with Leland. It didn't have to be a spellbinding account with that woman.

_3rd Session - Fallen out with Ivy a few days back, feels a little secluded. Atmosphere still cold, relying on Quinzel (No - 3045) Did not want to talk, I brought up the 'uncle' and she refused to answer. When I asked about the argument she mentioned J. Crane (No - 2958) and no more. Obviously Scarecrow has been up to his little games once more._

Games?! Games! He silently fumed for a moment, an image of a nice dose of fear toxin winging it's way to Leland in the post flitting through his mind before being quickly dismissed.

_4th session - relationship between Ivy seems stable once more, talked a little about how she is adapting. Only communication with Ivy and Quinzel, did not appreciate my mention of Crane. Quickly volunteered to speak again about family. No new information found, subject became less and less responsive as hour passed. Complete waste of time._

Jonathan sighed, he had been hoping for something useful, but here it was on paper. Not one ounce of information; no fears, no traumatic experience, no conclusion on her mental state. From their brief conversation in the yard he could only guess she was stable mentally, if a little naïve and trusting.

It was oddly endearing , but that didn't aid his game in the slightest.

With a click of the tongue, he slid the folder away once more and walked easily back into his cell. With a pat to the guards shoulder, he stepped inside and watched as the door slid closed behind him.

"Richard, I'll be needing your _help_ in a weeks time," he stated in a hushed yet steady voice, levelling a stare at the man who - although he was at least a foot taller than Crane - seemed to shrink away from him. "Okay?"

Richard nodded, already walking away as he spoke. "Sure thing, Doctor Crane."

* * *

_I think these chapters are going to get longer, what do you think? x_


	5. Chapter 5

_A.N. Hello all, longer chapter this time. I did intend to update earlier today, sorry but I got distracted and only just remembered now. (This week has been hectic.) Anyway, I would like to thank all the reviewers of the story so far, you guys are awesome. Jam Hot as Noel Fielding would say._

**Chapter Five.**

Nicky sighed for about the fifth time in as many minutes, lying across the couch with Harley curled up in an armchair by her side. The woman was wrapped up in her cartoons, eyelids drooping ever once in a while and a completely innocent look of rapture on her face. The ghost of a smile sliding off her features as she slipped into dreams.

It was cute, yet on another level disturbing.

Without Poison Ivy to keep the banter going, both girls had run out of jokes and gags to keep them occupied. The silence was long, but comfortable as Harley's head once again drooped heavily before jolting her awake.

With good behaviour, Ivy had been allowed back to her beloved plants. The reason for her therapy sessions going so smoothly as evidence, just so the woman could talk to a rose for hours on end. Sure, she adored the woman but sometimes she really was loopy.

The short memory of Ivy and her lab sprang to mind, white coat and gloved hands as she almost caressed a plant on her worktop. Back then Pamela had been, she struggled for the right word. Dowdy wasn't the right word, but the first that came to mind. Sure, if she wanted something from a certain man then she could really lay on her famous feminine charm but if it served her no use she didn't bother.

She had carried on caressing the green vine until Nicky had made her presence known, pressing her lips to the bud briefly before turning around.

She tried to focus back on her book, desperate to get lost in the pages and waste a few hours. Time didn't slow, it stopped in Arkham. Then seemed to start again with a lurch, leaving her dazed and confused as she sat in her cell wondering what time it was.

For some reason, the angel and the demon of her book were getting drunk together. It was hard to keep track of what was happening with the short periods she had to read in, coupling that with her wavering attention span. Something about the Devil, wasn't it? The boy, Adam?

Whatever, she decided with a sigh. It made her laugh, so like it really mattered.

"Good book?" She looked up suddenly, watching an upside down Crane as he watched her back.

"Get lost," she muttered, going back to her book with a bit more vigour that before. He stayed in her peripheral vision, refusing to move as Nicky frowned angrily at her book.

"No need to be like that," he was obviously trying to sound offended, only managing to sound sarcastic and a little put out. She grinned cheekily without taking her eyes from the pages within her grasp.

"Every need from where I'm sitting,"

"Laying," Crane sat quite happily on the armrest and leaned an elbow into the cushioned back. Nicky shifted away a little bit, rolling her eyes as she did so.

"Whatever."

"Have you got to the end of the world yet?" he nodded his head towards the book in her hands, earning himself a quirked brow and her attention. _Good Omens_, the one worthwhile title in the whole Asylum and here she was listening to Crane spoil the ending for her. Nicky sat up and allowed him to slide into the space that had occupied her head a moment ago, a frown on her face but amused all the same.

"So," she closed the book slowly with a thumb keeping her place, lips twisting to keep her smile at bay as suspicion fought for control. "_Johnny_ doesn't just read boring books all day?" The man in question shrugged. "You do surprise me,"

"Then you're easily surprised," he smiled tightly, eyes too sharp to be friendly. She felt the urge to look away and barely resisted, instead widening her own a little until he broke eye contact. "I was thinking about this hacking you told me about,"

"Oh?" Her defences were already up again, expecting a lot of teasing about their last encounter with Ivy catching them but instead he seemed to be ignoring the little incident.

As she looked back on the moment, it made her cringe with embarrassment. On one hand, she must of looked real cosy with Johnny, on the other she had Ivy treating her like a kid. Calling her over with nothing more than a glare, she had obeyed and allowed the woman to warn her once again about the man.

The man she was currently talking to…._ Ah._

"Can something like that be applied to, oh, I dunno" he paused, obviously faking it before giving a casual shrug. "A security main frame?"

"Yeah," she muttered after a moment, feeling Crane nod energetically before stilling once more. He was getting at something here, it was almost amusing to watch.

"What about a control system?"

"Most probably," she conceded with a shrug, edging away and frowning heavily as Crane didn't seem to care and leaned forward some more.

"Television broadcasting?"

Any second now a guard was going to pull him away, someone was going to sit down, Harley was going to wake up and at the same time she knew it'd only be relaxed again with her pushing him off the couch.

"Yes, Crane," she elbowed him in the chest, resisting the urge to wince as she knocked her still fresh bruises - too many to count and in the most unfortunate places. He rubbed at the offended area, a slight pout to his full lips but still he didn't move. "Anything that requires passwords, or with a database, or a mainframe with a set of instructions," she stood, turning to face him as he wore a mask of fake calm and carried on smiling up at her warmly. "Does that answer your question?"

"How long?" he started but never finished, eyes scanning the room casually yet again. He made no move to continue and the way his eyes quickly searched, Nicky gave in and sat down with a far bigger gap than before. She turned to him, rubbing at her brow as she too gave the room a quick glance.

"Would it take you to learn it all?" Picking at a loose thread on the pillow behind her head with a disinterested shrug, he gave a nod as she continued. "Well, you seem bright enough," he smiled wickedly, one moment it was there the next he was back to watching the thread between his fingers. Her heart still leapt pleasantly, leaving her feeling stupid for wanted to smile. "Probably a year to become fully competent,"

"A year?"

He looked at her sharply, blue eyes wide and somehow challenging - searching for the lie. She nodded, a little intimidated by the gaze she was receiving. He turned to face forward, concentrating on something that Nicky could only imagine. He tutted, turning to her with a tight lipped smile - a fake, sinister imitation of a smile. "Well, that won't do, will it."

It definitely wasn't a question.

* * *

Ivy was gone.

It shouldn't of hurt as much as it did that Ivy had left without taking her too, hell she left Harley and hadn't even told them she was going. One minute she was there then the next - _POOF_ - the alarms were sounding at 3 in the morning and Nicky was pressing her head to the glass, peering eagerly down the hall as the guards ran from one end to the next.

They hadn't caught even a glimpse of her. She wanted to throw something.

By the look of Harley, the girl was proud of her friend. Telling everyone how she had been sleeping in the cell across from Red, how she didn't hear a peep and that she'd even made her _bed_ before leaving! That, had the girl laughing outright over her breakfast. Nicky gave a grunt in response, prodding at her meal and feeling so much more depressed than she ever had in Arkham.

Which was silly, really.

Ivy had no debt to her, she was a free spirit and liked being alone. Sure, she teamed up with a few people but always cut the ties when it turned into a regular thing. She still felt put out all the way to the Rec room, slumping unhappily into the sofa as Harley sat upside down in her armchair. Nicky passed her the remote without having to be asked, knowing exactly what program they would be watching and feeling comforted by the repetition.

"Don't be down kid," Harley chimed, lifting her head to give Nicky an upside down grin. A hard thing to accomplish but she did it beautifully, even if her face was going bright red with the blood flow. "Ivy needed to go, that's all it was,"

_But I need to go too!_

"Yeah, I know." she said with a smile, attempting to watch the cartoons on screen and ignore the feeling of betrayal. Grow up, girl. Her book landing in her lap raised nothing more than a quirked brow, already she knew Jonathan would be standing to her left with his usual icy smile.

She didn't look up, the last thing she needed was to be antagonised by Crane.

He didn't seem to take the hint, instead landing lightly beside her and propping his ankle up on his other knee. She wondered briefly why it was Harley didn't have the same attitude towards Crane as Ivy, but she already knew the answer; the woman was like a child, she hated one person in this world - Batman - and didn't seem to see the evil in anyone else. She envied the woman for a moment, life must be a merry little trip with that image.

Silence reigned merrily for a good ten minutes, just as Nicky had started to relax and actually take in what she was reading _he_ gave a polite cough to her side.

"You seem upset,"

"I swear Crane if you start doing your doctor nonsense at me I will break your arm," she growled, nails digging into the already beaten book as she stared resolutely at the blurring words.

"I wouldn't dream of it," He sounded smug, of course he did - she'd just proven him right. With a little effort she realised the book from her death grip, allowing the tension to creak in her knuckles.

"Good," She nodded, feeling an idiot and swiping her fringe out of her eyes.

"Good." And with that they sat comfortably in silence.

------------------------

"I take it we're all set, right?" Crane asked, sparing nothing more than a glance to Richard behind the glass of his cell. He opened one eye to catch the swift nod of the guard's head, his face showing confusion to his part in the plan. So it should, Crane thought smugly.

The poor man was probably wondering why it was exactly that he was aiding Crane like this, unable to comprehend how he had come to this point. Such a switch from his role of Arkham Asylum guard to Crane's lackey. Not too worry, it'd be over soon. He could go back to thinking himself superior and unbreakable - what with his tazer gun and uniform - and promptly try to forget that he ever caved so easily to a stick of a man with far too many clever words.

He sighed a little, reclined on the bed with his hands tucked neatly beneath his head before he stood. One swift motion had him standing at the glass, waiting patiently as Richard swiped his card and had the door sliding back. He grinned, feeling a sudden power as Richard winced away and walked into the cell.

"Now comes the regrettable part, hey Richard?" he asked lightly, taking the man's baton from his belt as Richard turned on the spot. Head downcast, he gave a sharp nod and braced himself for the impact. One blow later and he was sprawled on the ground, hitting the floor as Crane jumped out of the way. He smiled a little, walking past and grabbing the key card from the man's limp hand as he went.

Really, a performance like that just showed off his powers of persuasion. It was almost a shame no one was here to see it.

The only sound being that of plexiglass sliding back into place as he walked along the corridor, straight into the store room and retrieving a long forgotten box of his belongings. He opened the box to find his mask sat on top, staring back at him with empty eyes. Within five minutes he was dressed in his much missed blue suit, buttoning the shirt and waiting for the footsteps on the other side of the door to fade away.

The mask neatly tucked into his jacket pocket.

With nimble hands he picked out another box; searching through for the bloodied shirt, worn jeans, long coat and scruffy trainers before giving the rest a quick glance over. For some reason there was a slinky, a lollipop, half a pack of mints and an elastic band ball. Odd, even by his standards.

Right, he thought, opening the door and walking the opposite way to the footsteps. He had four minutes or so.

* * *

The tapping on glass alerted her to something going on, waking from sleep with a sharp snore before she rolled straight out of bed. Someone chuckled, watching her climb out of the covers before shoving a hand in their pocket.

Nicky grabbed her lower back and stood, stumbling back a few paces as she did so. "What do you want, huh?" her voice still groggy from sleep.

"That was quite a show, Nicky," she froze, watching with a tilted head before stepping forward slowly. "I'd work on your landing though,"

"Crane?" she asked finally, blue eyes coming into focus as she stared dumbly to the dark shape behind the glass.

"We haven't got the time for pleasantries, not when you sleep like a rock," She made to argue back but found Crane already talking again. "Are you looking for '_something to do'_?" he asked with liberal humour, echoing her words of a few weeks back.

She couldn't be entirely sure, but she thought she could sight of Crane bounce happily on the balls of his feet once.

"Are you offering a job?" she crossed her arms, realising the box withinin his grasp and her grey t-shirt on top. Ah, obviously he was.

"It's not really offering when you have to say yes, is it?" And with that he slid the key card through the system, grabbing her arm as soon as there was enough room and hauling them both down the corridor.

* * *

Nicky stumbled down the steps with a hand dragging her by a coat sleeve, everything moving too fast to really be comprehended. All she knew was that right now she was breathing fresh air, feeling the wind and running like a giggling fool down the narrowing lane and away from Arkham.

It felt so good to be back in her old clothes once more, even if they were spotted with her own blood. Surprisingly Crane had led her straight into an empty holding cell, swiping a card to open the room and telling her to hurry. It had almost made her giddy, just to smell her own detergent. They reached the gate, something which made both of them pause - but both for different reasons.

"Well done, Johnny," she growled - earlier joy disappearing with the impossible gate before them - tugging her arm from his grasp as he started walking to the right. With a death glare sent her way, she shuffled over to see what he was doing. A white, innocuous box mounted against the wall was opened to reveal a keypad with the numbers 1 to 9. "We're out, sure. Although I think we've already reached the end of our thrilling tale, was fun though so -"

The gate opened, creaking ominously and a second later covered by the shrill alarm from behind them. Jonathan didn't seem bothered, merely grabbing her elbow and steering her down the road. It was too dark to distinguish anything except for the moon and a few surrounding trees, leading to both of them stumbling in their haste.

"Jonathan?" she asked in a whisper, feeling stupid as it was only them but her nerves getting the better of her. She glanced back at the only sign on the road, declaring Arkham as they ran in the opposite direction. He seemed to take a moment to decide whether to respond at all, searching the road ahead of them eagerly.

"Hmm?" His run turned into a jog, adjusting his grip on her coat but refusing to let go.

"Where are we going?"

Her question was more or less answered a second later, with a van a little way down the road flashing it's headlights at them. They ran forward - or at least Jonathan did and Nicky stumbled along behind - before the back doors opened to reveal one grinning driver and an equally cheerful man in the back. "Gotham, get in."

-------------

Nicky stayed quiet for the entire journey, hands clasped neatly between her knees and the van raced - much too quickly - away from Arkham. Only when the alarms had faded away into the distance and they turned sharply into a bend did Crane glance at her, the girl pushing her heels into the floor to try and steady herself against the bend.

She wasn't scared - strange as that sounded - as she was obviously needed for something. Nervous of being caught, sure.

She ignored Crane's gaze, rubbing at her cheek with her shoulder and trying to run through the events so far. Funnily enough, she was still half asleep and barely realised the last 20 minutes as real. Of course, somewhere deep down that was all that was keeping her mind going - the annoying little voice that always made an appearance at times like this, screaming at her to get out and away from Crane.

"Left here, slow down you _idiot,"_ Crane ordered and the lackey did just that, the engine pinging with the sudden change as they parked up. The guy in back slowly opened the doors, blocking Nicky's view as he checked their surroundings. He stepped down and immediately she followed, scanning her surroundings but everything was too dark to recognise.

She grumbled to herself, playing with the sleeve of her navy trench coat as everyone organised themselves. She could run, her mind thought suddenly. Running was good, it was a sort of defiance but at the same time she knew it wouldn't work. She was tired, lost and the three men behind her would know all the alleys around here like the back of their hand.

"Move it, Nicky," Crane ordered, passing by without a glance and a sports bag slung over his shoulder. She mock saluted, tongue pushing out her bottom lip as she skipped on. The henchmen gave her a strange look, watching the woman march through the same door Crane had entered and into darkness.

Only when the door had slammed behind them all did someone turn on the lights, far above their head and illuminating a warehouse that had certainly seen better days. Looking around swiftly, the three men organised themselves. The odd desk was scattered here and there, burdened with papers and some with odd scraps of metal and tubing.

In the centre was a battered wood table, probably to seat 6 but with a few chairs scattered around. The thugs were already marching towards it, two picking up on an earlier game of cards while the other searched out his paper and sat.

Staring up at the high ceiling, Nicky felt herself being dragged by her wrist over to a rather battered work station with so many blueprints and sheets upon it that she couldn't take it all in.

She was pushed down into an office chair, spinning on the spot before being positioned before the desk.

"_This_, is what I need you for," he muttered, leaving her to gape as he peered over her shoulder. She flipped through the first few, recognising nothing and feeling utterly confused. It wasn't until she came across the word 'metro' did the strange lines and plans start to make sense.

"The subway," It wasn't a question, to which she felt Crane nod by her side. A shuffle of paper later and he was handing her a page full of scribbled diagrams and notes. One note in particular caught her eye - not surprising seeing as it was underlined and circled in red ink.

_Third platform, office - one floor up second door along.  
__Two stops with a 2 minute 28 second gap for first, second 5_

"Second five?" she asked, brow knitted to the gibberish before her all in rushed handwriting. "Second stop five minutes after that?" she looking up at him, watching as he cleaned his glasses looking decidedly bored. He nodded sharply once, replacing his spectacles as both turned their attention back to the blueprints. "So, what is this about then?"Crane sighed, angering her beyond belief.

"Quite simple, I want to halt a train between stops. I'll need it down for about 10 minutes, then I'll need the alarm off after that," Nicky nodded, frown still creasing her brow all the while. Crane shuffled his papers once again, pulling out the subway map with it's notes and arrows all over it. "But I need it to stop near this point here," A finger was placed within a marked area, a circle of red pen around his digit. Nicky couldn't see why that point was so important, it was more towards the next stop and didn't make sense.

"But, after 10 minutes, won't someone come to check it out?" He shook his head, a know it all smirk in place. "So, you're going to make sure no one comes to check it out. Gotcha," A pause. "So, I'll be where exactly?"Crane sighed again, this time causing Nicky to turn in her chair and glare with her jaw clenched. He pulled up a chair noisily beside her, rubbing his nose just under his glasses where a slight indentation was evident.

"Are the details _really_ that important?" Nicky just carried on glaring until he gave in. "Shall we start from the top?"

"That'd be the logical thing to do,_ Johnny_," she grumbled, feeling stupid with so much information scattered before her and no way of comprehending it. Crane glared a little, temper obviously rising as he deliberately calmed himself.

"I have it on good authority that a certain Emily Faden rides home from work of a night, only on a Wednesday when she works late," he paused with Nicky's raised eyebrows.

"Stalking her, are we?"

"It's called research," he sniffed once, ignoring the clang from somewhere in the hideout followed by someone swearing loudly. Nicky grinned, turning to watch as something metal fell and a henchman came stumbling out of the darkness holding his elbow gingerly. She turned back around to Crane, grin still in place.

"Did she break your heart?" Nicky pouted up at him, fluttering her eyelashes as Crane rolled his eyes once.

He ignored her comment, merely returning to the plan. "You will be led into the control room, you'll have about 7 minutes after that to get into the system and shut down the train," Nicky looked dubiously at him, eyes wide and shaking her head faintly from side to side. He decided to ignore her, carrying on regardless. "After that you will start the train up once again, shut down the alarm and then one of my guys will lead you out again."

"Do you think I'm bionic?" she asked seriously, lacing her hands delicately on the table and looking at the multiple blueprints. He'd obviously been planning for ages, yet at the same time it was so likely to go wrong she'd put money on it.

"No, but you'll do it. The alarms more to show off so don't worry if you don't turn it off in time, just go when your escort says so and follow him," Crane sat back after his little speech, quite proud of his plan and it was evident on his face. Nicky was still staring wide eyed, shaking her head now and then and sighing to herself.

"Okay, question time," Crane sighed, thankfully Nicky was too busy staring at the plans to pay attention. "Why this Emily Faden?"

"Simple really, I don't like her dad and she'll know who I am," he continued as Nicky twisted her lips. "Judge Faden and I - well, he was the reason I got so long at Arkham in the first place. Now, any other judge and I would have merely excepted that as law but Faden!" he smirked, jaw clenched. "Let's just say he liked his bribes."

Silence reigned for a moment as Nicky stared into space, turning sharply after as a thought occurred to her. She opened her mouth, considered her words and paused. Only continuing as Crane gave her a confused look. "What is it you actually do?" she laughed once. "I mean, what's your _gimmick_?" she ignored the way he stiffened with her last words, obviously not liking the phrase. Without a word he pulled out what looked to be a burlap sack from his pocket, dropping it lightly onto the desk.

She stared for a moment, wondering just how crazy Crane truly was. The more confused she became, the more amused he seemed before picking the sack back up again and rearranging it for her to see. It still looked like a small sack, although a sack with two eye holes and a stitched mouth. Which was still strange, but made an ounce of sense. It was a mask, a badly constructed one but a mask all the same.

He gave up, shaking his head in mock exasperation as he did so. She fought the urge to smile, sometimes he could be quite amusing. "Scarecrow, that's the gimmick as you put it," her mouth formed a little 'O', still confused none the less.

"So, what do you do?"

"Scare people,"

_"Scare people?"_ she laughed after a moments thought, waving a hand towards the burlap mask. "What, jump out of their closets and scream at them? Or are we talking about chasing them through corn fields here? Because I have to tell you I've seen a movie with the exact same idea,"

"Nothing so vulgar," he smirked, allowing a sinister edge to creep into his voice. He stood quickly and had to hold back the urge to laugh as Nicky jumped back, walking over to his desk and pulling out a single canister. He sat down lightly once more, holding the metal container between them. "Fear toxin works better than jumping out of closets ever would. I created it a while back, been tweaking it ever since," he watched her expression change from interest to worry, pulling her face away a little and giving him a dubious look.

"Right," she muttered, eyes darting between him and the canister quickly. The excited look in his eyes when he held that thing made her nervous, the smile that twitched around his lips. He put it away, opening a drawer and throwing it inside without glancing away from Nicky's face.

It put her on edge, the calculating look in those blue eyes as he seemed to see right through her. She coughed once, glancing away and allowing herself a moment to calm down. Once she had convinced herself that he wasn't suddenly going to whip it back out again and give her a dose, she relaxed visibly and rubbed at her forehead. "It's a spray then?"

"It is, I did try powder for a while but I kept getting it on my trousers," Was that a joke? Was he joking now or telling the truth, she looked at his expression to find his expression now amused as she shook her head and smiled slightly. "It showed them their deepest, darkest fears only magnified to horrendous measures,"

"Why?" she asked quietly and stuttered on as he gave her a confused glance. "Why would you want to do that? I mean, guns scare people. It gets people to do what you want, waving a gun in their face," To her utter surprise, Crane laughed lightly and shook his head.

His laugh was breathy, a sound that you could miss if you weren't paying attention.

"It's not about making them do what I want, it's more to do with the mind," Nicky quirked an eyebrow. "It's all very well to go around waving a gun at people, but that doesn't interest me. Phobias on the other hand, they interest me greatly; things that can't harm you yet terrify, childhood memories long since forgotten yet the fear remains," he gave her a look, a look that Nicky couldn't understand and wasn't sure she wanted to either. "Guns scare because they kill, it's the small things that break your mind."

The look in his eye made Nicky shiver, adverting her gaze and coughing lightly. She fiddled with the papers, skipping through a few to give herself time to calm down.

He was itching to test it on her, she could tell now."Why here then?" she tapped the subway map with a finger, once again drawn to the red circle around it. Without missing a beat the atmosphere was broke, Crane was back into business mode and had stopped diagnosing her with his eyes.

"There's a door, a fire exit of sorts. It leads to the sewers," Nicky wrinkled her nose and received nothing more than a withering look. "It _leads_ to the sewers, we'll be going up not down. When the train starts up again, you'll be able to run there where I will meet you. After that it's simply a matter of getting back here,"

"If I do this," she started, interrupted rudely by Crane holding up a single finger suddenly.

"When, you mean,"

_"If,"_ she glared as he smirked. "I do this, what's in it for me?"

"Wasn't it payment enough for me to break you out of Arkham?" he asked lightly, Nicky merely smirking at him with a quirked brow. He gave in. "Payment, of course,"

She sat back, spinning back and forth a little in her chair and staring unseeingly at the table. "Not a bad plan, I suppose."

Crane tutted by her side.


	6. Chapter 6

A.N. Haiiiiii, hello and good day. Ummm, yeah. I would just like to say thank you to everyone who has been reviewing this story, your comments make me feel all squishy. That's right I said squishy, proud of it too. Okay, I'm still about 6 chapters ahead of this, I plan to keep it this way too and hopefully I'll keep to updating every week. Awesome. Anways, if you enjoy the story then please review. Any pointers? Tell me, I won't get pissy about it.

**Chapter 6.**

It was surprisingly boring, being inside a gang's hideout. She had spent most of the morning watching television and sighing to herself, the rest of her time watching the henchmen taking orders from Crane. Which was funny in it's own right; the man must of only been 5ft 8, if that, with a thin figure and floppy hair.

Hardly put the fear of God into you… _But then again_, her mind would whisper, _that's what he specialises in_.

She was shocked to find herself missing Harley Quinn, especially when she flicked from the report of the Arkham breakout to cartoons. The jokes weren't funny without the hysterical laughter ringing in her ears, resulting in Nicky changing the channel back.

It was odd to see her mug shot beside Crane's; an unknown face and yet the reporter of earlier had already said the two were together and dangerous. It shouldn't have made her smile, but it did. She got up briskly, swinging her arms by her side as she wandered over to the hunched from of Crane at his desk.

Peering over his shoulder for a moment, she puffed up her cheeks with air and let it out loudly through tight lips. Crane cringed, deep in thought and effectively distracted by her presence. "When can I grab some of my clothes?" she asked suddenly, picking up a strange looking item from his side and peering at it. It tinkled merrily as she shook it, leading her to peer inside the small hole in the top.

Nicky resisted the pout as it was ripped from her hand, shoved into his pocket quickly.

"You can't,"

"Why?" she crossed her arms, staring down at him but being completely ignored.

"Because," The silence that followed was tense, the seated man just waiting for her to speak again as she obviously would. Just when he had relaxed, she kneed the plastic back of his chair softly and came to stand by his side.

"Well?"

He turned, icy blue eyes and with a death grip on his pen. "The cops will be at your house now, waiting for you to turn up. They'll be expecting you, Nicky. Use your brain," he turned back around and ignored the slightly evil glint in her eyes, especially ignoring the way the muscle in her jaw clenched so quickly.

"They won't be if they think we're some kind of double act, if you'd bother to watch the news Johnny you might have known," Both stayed silent for a moment, finally she spoke again with a little of the steel gone from her voice. Only to be replaced with certainty. "I'll go tomorrow,"

"No you won't,"

"Oh, I will,"

"You'll get yourself caught, or followed by the _Bat-man_," he turned on her swiftly, eyebrows raised and eyes mockingly wide . "Heard of him?"

"Of course, and I won't get caught or followed," she smiled, it was forced but seemed to annoy Crane more than a glare. He took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose quickly, ignoring the grin from the woman before him to the marks left once again by his glasses.

"Oh really, and how can you be so sure?"

"Because I've got some stuff at Red's, I'll grab it from hers," she stated smugly, allowing a moment to gloat. Bending a little at the waist, she bit her lip in thought and turned innocent eyes to Crane. "Is that quite alright or would you like some time to think about it?"

He ignored the slightly flirtacious flutter of her eyelashes, watching Nicky with a bored expression as she play acted before him."That's the first place they will check," Silence followed his deadpanned voice. "Do you not think the authorities will be all over the place?"

She shrugged whilst straightening, arms crossing with a grin as Crane's temper grew. "I doubt it, it's on a toxic waste dump,"

He frowned, pen twirling idly between finger and thumb will the prospect of work completely forgotten. "Then why, may I ask, have you got possessions in a place that can kill you?"

"I wasn't staying, it was just somewhere to put my things. Storage I suppose, so what do you say?"

He didn't reply, merely turning away with a wave of a hand over his shoulder.

* * *

She'd been walking for a good 20 minutes now, kicking at stones in her path and shooting glances over her shoulder. Although, right now she was right on the outskirts of Gotham on her way to the toxic waste dump that was Ivy's abode.

The car journey with Crane's guy had been uncomfortable, both keeping quiet the for the hour long journey before dropping her off at some deserted road in the middle of nowhere. She had walked on and allowed her mind to wander, mostly to the fact that Crane had nearly forced her into the car with his guy as an escort. It would have been adorable if it hadn't of been so frustrating, Nicky had unfortunately woken up in a bad mood and was raring for an argument, leaving the warehouse in a mood and almost jumping into the waiting car.

The guy had grumbled something about waiting there to pick her up again, already slouching in his chair and pulling his hat down over his eyes. Nicky had just started to get tired before catching sight of the model showrooms ahead, the billboard yellowing with age surrounded by some unfortunate looking houses.

Most had toppled over, crumbling out underneath themselves or merely subsiding over the years what with being built on unstable grounds. Yet the one house that stood out was the one that somehow managed to have greenery covering the walls, even with the toxic waste. Seeming like an Oasis; thriving in such barren lands, she remembered her absolute shock the first time she had seen the place.

Almost a contradiction to it's surroundings.

She grinned suddenly, skipping a few steps forward and walking towards the first decrepit house. She gave it no more than a glance, a little more interested in the mailbox just outside that tilted on it's post sidways. It opened on squeaking hinges, Nicky almost immediately pulling out a thick scarf and placing it over her nose and mouth. Adjusting the knot at the back, she jogged towards Red's home.

It was a temporary thing, probably offering her as much protection as a paper bag but it made her feel safer at least. Thankfully, the few visits she had to Red's place were short and so the 'protection' had barely been needed - she refused the shot, both for her dislike of needles and the idea of getting super human strength. A body builder sprang to mind and she didn't have the shoulders to pull off arms like that, or even keep them off the ground.

Of course, she had ended up taking a little 'boost' after a particular job had gone badly. And by badly, she meant _catastrophically bad_. A broken arm being Nicky's only reward, she had ended up spending a few days at the hideout. In the end, she had needed a little something to keep her alive through this time and so a temporary toxin antidote had come in handy.

Nicky had reacted badly, in the end breaking a door after pulling instead of pushing… This superhuman strength stuff wasn't a joke. Thankfully, it had worn off within a week. A full dose would of probably resulted in the house falling down, either that or Ivy throwing her out.

Her bag had been for their last job, she had planned to go away for a few days. Maybe visit her cousin in New York, even if they didn't exactly get along and the only thing they had in common was family. The very idea of a 'holiday' seemed funny now, what with her stint in Arkham and the botched job.

Opening the door without knocking, she peered around and listened intently. No sound whatsoever, making her edge her way into the living area and onwards to the kitchen. Nothing.

"Red?" she called, voice oddly muffled by the scarf along with the uncomfortable itch behind her hot ears. "Red, it's Nicky!" Still nothing, leaving the girl to look around the house silently and wonder just where she'd gone.

Only then did she realise the note taped to the fridge, amongst the various newspaper clippings showing her latest crimes. Some included Harley, the girl looking completely different in full garb. The note was sloppy, unlike her usual eloquent writing as she squinted to make it out.

_Nicky,  
You're an idiot. What did I tell you?! It doesn't matter now, be back in a week. I'll find you.  
Ivy._

Well, that was charming. She scoffed silently in the empty room, feeling a little put out. It hadn't been her fault, yet again - people seemed to want her along for the ride. Resisting the urge to write back a note of her own, she walked swiftly into the only bedroom and instantly tripped over her duffel bag.

It was still packed , Ivy knowing exactly what she would be calling for and placing it straight in front of her. She was pretty sure her knee was bleeding, what with the searing pain under her jeans as she stood. With a huff and a fed up expression on her face, she grabbed the bag and started towards the door.

Today was turning out to be lousy.

* * *

The warehouse door slammed shut, two shadows illuminated before the natural light was cut off. Nicky walked forward, bag swinging by her side as Crane gave her a quick glance. She looked annoyed, her driver a little lost. He hid the smirk well, bending his head back to his plans.

Obviously, the girl was just as annoying to everyone else.

"Don't know what you're grinning about, Johnny," That got his attention, glancing up to the stubborn little smirk on the woman's face. "I got my stuff, no sign of batman either,"

"Will you stop calling me that?" she gave him a look of mock innocence, already her mood improving with the chance to annoy him yet again. "It's Jonathan,"

"Fine." A shrug was her only movement, followed by suddenly sitting on the floor with her bag between her legs. The zipper sounding too loud in the silence, she was already rummaging through the contents by the time Crane looked down.

Excitable as ever.

"I think we need to go over the plan,"

"Oh god, _Jonathan_," His name pronounced with a little sarcasm. "We've been over it already, give it a rest," she pulled out a purple t shirt at least three sizes too big for her, a grin forming that nearly cracked her face as she stuffed it back inside.

Crane opened his mouth to argue, looking down at the woman and facing her fully before a quiet cough sounded behind him. Spinning a little in his chair, he gave the nervous looking man behind him a glance. "Uh, boss?" he grumbled, continuing as Crane carried on staring. "We were thinking, would it be alright for us to go now? Y'know, meet up tomorrow like?"

Crane gave a sharp nod, turning back to Nicky as the men stumbled out of the warehouse and only speaking after their shuffling footsteps had faded. "I really think -"

It was Nicky's turn to interrupt with an exaggerated sigh, earning herself a rather stern look. "Okay, tomorrow alright? Before we go." he nodded once, turning away as the woman got up and marched easily into the shambles of a living space.

It wasn't exactly ideal; the kitchen/living room merely being a telly, sofa, microwave and small fridge. Obviously rarely used, it looked like the sofa was struggling under it's own weight. The tiny bathroom leading off of that, followed by a single bed that she had used last night.

She had no idea where Crane had slept, but frankly she couldn't have cared less.

Changing quickly, she smiled and almost jumped onto the sofa. After tomorrow night, she'd have a bit of money in her pocket and be free to go looking for Red. Thinking about it now, she had no idea why she was even agreeing to this little scheme of Crane's. Maybe the money had something to do with it, but Nicky knew she was already agreeing before the money had entered the conversation.

Oh well, it'd be over soon.

She watched the television without taking it in, watching a film noir and fighting the urge to smile. The oldies were the best, even if they were a little cliché - it added to the charm a bit. Her stomach growled, alerting her to the hour and how she hadn't eaten since that morning.

And a black coffee wasn't enough to keep her going.

"Crane?" she shouted from the couch, tilting her head towards his general direction with her eyes glued to the screen - she knew he'd still be behind that desk without looking.

"Yes?" he shouted back, making Nicky laugh as their voices echoed very slightly with the high ceilings - both refusing to walk the distance to talk like civilised human beings.

"I'm hungry!"

"Then eat,"

"Eat what?" she asked, standing and taking the short walk to the fridge. Peering inside, she shouted back over her shoulder whilst inspecting the meagre supplies. "It's a tie between a slab of butter or some suspicious looking cheese!"

Crane sighed by her side, shocking the woman as she bounced the side of her shoulder off of the fridge door. He smirked as she winced, raising nothing more than an eyebrow to the glare he received. "We can't exactly ring for take out,"

"Then go get something," she carried on rubbing her shoulder, trying to detect any bruising. "I'm starving."

And just like that, Crane walked away and soon afterwards the door thudded shut from the other end of the warehouse.

That was easy, she decided before sitting back on the lumpy couch.

* * *

_This is weird_, Nicky thought whilst spooning more rice into her mouth and ignoring the urge to laugh at the situation. Crane had brought back Chinese, brandishing it at her as she smiled a little. It had taken ages, but she wasn't about to complain. Surprisingly, he had sat at the opposite end of the couch and they both ate in silence.

She spared him another glance, eyes flicking between the telly and his takeout box. Yet again, her lips twitched. The silence only broken by the rubbish game show on the box, both of them too lazy to change the channel. Only when they had finished and were sitting somewhat drowsily did Crane spare her a glance, almost _laying_ ungracefully with her legs splayed out before her.

"Did you see Ivy?"

"No," she shrugged. "She's gone for the week, she left me a note,"

"How very _domesticated_," he smirked as she turned her head, her expression sarcastic "Letting you know where she is, I mean"

"Suppose," Another shrug. "She doesn't make a habit of it," A pause as Nicky waited for the next question, not having to wait long.

"Do you know her well?"

"Yeah, well enough," she studied him openly, not fooled by the casual tone of his voice. "Why?"

"Just making conversation, Nicky," he held his hands open between them, a sign of innocence that didn't suit him at all. "She doesn't usually make friends off her own back,"

"I've known her for a while, she worked with mum,"

He nodded once, removing his glasses from tired eyes. "Botanist?" A nod from Nicky. "Sort of a friend of the family then?" She nodded again, eyes glassy as she stared mindlessly at the screen. "She's always seemed icy to me,"

"That's because she doesn't like you, Jonathan" she turned with a grin, only smiling more as Crane gave a bow of the head in acceptance of her statement. "She doesn't like most people though. I used to help her with the plants, give me something to do whilst mum was fussing over files,"

"And where's your mum now?" he asked, casually turning to find the remote beneath the seat cushions that barely protected them from the springs beneath. He knew the answer already, unbeknown to Nicky but a truthful answer would tell him a lot more than papers ever could - A lie would tell of her uncertainty around him.

"Died, five years ago." Neither said anymore as the channel was changed, back to the news that had moved on from the breakout and onto the latest celebrity rumours. "You took ages," she stated in an overly chipper voice, trying to ignore the way her mood had suddenly plummeted.

He shrugged, thankfully not glancing at her as he spoke. She was beginning to feel uneasy under his gaze of late. "I couldn't exactly go _local_." She tried not to smile at his joking tone.

* * *

Nicky was almost bouncing in her seat in the back of the van, eager to get it over with and at the same time scared out of her mind. With Ivy it had always seemed like a dare, something exciting to do and then they'd run away laughing…. Except for the last time, there hadn't been any laughing at the end of that.

With Crane, everything had to be precise; the timing, the route - hell, he'd even asked her to relay the plan back to him before they left. He had gone in a separate car, lecturing her fully before they departed and giving her a somewhat stern look.

Now they sat by the curb, the lone guy in the back with her seeming perfectly calm as the driver turned in his seat with a meaningful look. He checked his watch once more.

Apparently it was time as he gave her a nod, hand reaching for the door before pausing. "Crane said to be quick, remember - the alarm isn't necessary, just a nice touch."

Nicky rolled her eyes, stepping out eagerly and staying close to the man who towered over her. No sooner had they entered the station were they having their tickets checked and making their way towards the station. With faux calm, Nicky checked the arrival time against the clock in the top corner - not long now.

Crane would be making his entrance another way, she hadn't bothered asking how and hadn't thought to either. The walk seemed a lot shorter than she'd imagined, catching sight of her guard as he gave a man in the corridor a wink and the two started walking together. A hand on her shoulder and they turned a corner, jogging over to the control room and entering swiftly.

The door had been forced and scraped the floor as it opened on a busted hinge, revealing an unconscious man with another of Crane's men standing watch. A chair was pulled back and she sat silently, palms sweating as she checked the clock on the wall - eight minutes.

* * *

Crane opened the door a crack, peering around the corner before stepping out smoothly and swinging the door closed behind him. He straightened his deep blue suit, smoothing out invisible wrinkles before strolling casually onto the platform. A quick glance told him Faden's daughter was at the end of the platform, sitting down and completely engrossed by her book. Her expression reminded Crane of her father, the judge that had taken his bribes and mild threats so easily. To a man like him, the law seemed like nothing more like a nice idea.

Which had suited Crane fine, until he had stood before him and received his sentence. Well, the events to follow in a matter of moments would hopefully level the scores.

He smiled serenely, glancing up and down and noticing only a few other commuters this late at night. He glanced to his watch, the sound of the train fast approaching.

_

* * *

_

"Six minutes,"

_"Shut up!"_ Nicky screeched, hands flying over the controls as yet another attempted password came back negative, even with her helpful decoder it wasn't going to be quick enough. The first few numbers were done, she was taking guesses at the last few with added hysterics.

If she was caught now it'd be straight back to Arkham, and damn it she'd make sure _Johnny-boy_ was coming too. The guard by her feet groaned lowly, making no movement but the subtle flutter of the eyelids. "You can shut up too."

Thankfully, he did.

* * *

She was still reading, her eyes glancing up as they passed a station without stopping. Back to the book again as Crane slid a hand over the mask within his pocket, the familiar feeling of the cool metal canister against his wrist as he did so. They slowed for the first station, the nerves really starting to pick up as he glanced at his watch one last time; after the stop, Nicky would have barely 3 minutes to halt their journey.

She had to time it right, otherwise he'd be trapped in that bloody tunnel with no idea which way to run.

* * *

"Ha!" she screamed, jumping in her seat and already her fingers were dancing over the controls eagerly.

She was in, thank the Lord. The screen lighting up with options and commands, the last train leaving and arriving flickering before her eyes. "Time?" The nerves were evident in her voice, fingers shaking as she carried on jumping a little in her seat. She was going to either a) have a panic attack or b) faint... Or C) Both, and maybe throw up.

"2 minutes," she nodded sharply a few times, so animated it made her feel sick.

"Tell me when it gets to a minute." And she went back to typing the commands.

* * *

He was worried, the radio in his pocket off and so leaving him with no way of knowing if things were going according to plan. The urge to reach in and check was itching at his fingers, yet to do so would give everything away. Another check of the carriage still revealed it to be just Emily, Crane and some homeless man napping at the back.

He leaned against the glass window of the door, the vibrations only fuelling his nerves. Raising his arm to check the time one more he found himself flung against the glass divider as the lights cut out, the screeching of metal on metal almost deafening and the distinct and startled scream from the woman at the front like music to his ears.

The emergency lights - dim and with too much of a gap between them to give off more than shadows - flickered on as Crane grabbed the mask, flicking on the re-breather as he took sure steps towards the wide eyed woman. The hiss of fear toxin and a coughing fit later, she was screaming so loudly that Crane had to shout to be heard.

"_Miss Faden_," A slight pause, voice muffled with the mask and re-breather. The woman whimpered, sinking further into her seat_."What do you fear?"_


	7. Chapter 7

A.N. Hello all, first off I would like to apologise for being so late with this update but I have an excuse. I fractured my arm a while back and got these drugs that made me a bit loopy, then my internet died (something to do with the line..?) and I just got it back a few hours ago. Sorry, it's been sitting on my laptop for a good while now but I didn't have the means to post. Anyway, thanks to all you awesome reviewers. You're LEGENDARY. Thanks and enjoy.

**Chapter 7**

A red light was flashing.

Which was never a good sign when someplace you ought not be, usually it was a very bad sign. With this in mind Nicky hurried the next part, programming the alarm after a few minutes and checking her watch. It was all set; all they had to do now was wait for five minutes, start up the train and flip a switch for the silent alarm.

She sighed, raking a shaking hand through her hair and trying not to be sick. She laughed, shaking and looked towards the two henchmen behind her who offered nothing more than half smiles. Quite right too, she probably looked like she was having a breakdown.

"How much longer before we turn it all back on?" she asked no one in particular, knowing one of them would mutter something back.

"Just under three minutes."

* * *

A radio gave off static as the guard stumbled down the tracks slim walkway, hand sliding over the wall as he tripped and tripped again. If only the call had come in a moment later, he could of changed shifts and would have been on his way out by now.

He sighed, eyes squinting into the darkness and an odd sort of echo ringing in the din. From the distance, he couldn't make it out clearly but it set his nerves on edge. Something was off - it didn't take a genius to figure that one out - and something off in Gotham was usually a very bad thing.

* * *

"Done," Nicky flicked the switched, pressing a few buttons as she stood and laughing giddily as the annoying red light stopped flashing at her. She turned to find herself being led at full speed down the corridor, down a set of stairs and only a deserted platform. The man in front of her jumped down from the platform, grabbing her as she leapt with a squeak - dropping the woman whilst trying to run at the same time.

A radio buzzed into life, Crane having turned his own at the other end. A muffled buzz of static and the man behind her sent back the words 'All done'.

She barely resisted the urge to laugh, really it wasn't funny but her mind was running purely on adrenaline and fear. They pelted down the dark tunnel, a shard of light from the henchman's thin torch illuminating about three feet in front of their faces.

The sound of a train screeching back to life alerted them all to just how close they were, accompanied by the sound of someone running in the opposite direction. The floor beneath her feet vibrated slightly, only growing more powerful the further they ran.

With a jolt, the train started to move and pick up speed. Heavy footfalls from behind her only indication that the henchmen were still with her, she gave a breathy laugh when a shard of light waved back and forth; a torch trying to catch their attention from an open doorway not too far from them.

Closing in quick, all three flew into the narrow gap before Nicky stuck her head out again. The running form was getting closer, but so was the train. With a final burst, Crane came sprinting in through the door. She almost gasped to find him still wearing the Scarecrow mask, obviously everything had gone well.

Everyone breathed heavily as the train passed, going slower than normal with the lights still flickering back on as it went. The mask looked more intimidating now; the crappy lights flickering on and off casting deep shadows over the patchwork, with every flash Nicky had to convince herself that it wasn't watching her.

_Crane_ was still under there. It was easier to look at him with that in mind, that it really was just a mask and the man beneath was familiar. Well, familiar enough anyway.

With that, the henchmen started walking up a fight of stairs just behind them and Nicky followed quietly. The very idea of climbing stairs when she felt like her head was going to explode seemed stupid, but by the sound of Crane's breathing he would be doing worse.

"Stop right there," They stopped, turning on the steps to face a lone cop with a gun held to them all - flicking from Crane to Nicky, the three men behind and back again. Crane sighed, turning to look at her through the holes of his mask and shooing her away. She moved back a few steps, watching the cloud of white mist that choked the guard instantly.

And then he was screaming; a horrible, gut wrenching and desperate sound as he flung his gun away and started scraping at his own arms viciously. His screams grew higher as Crane approached, grabbing his shoulders and forcing his gaze onto the mask.

"_What do you fear?"_

Clothing ripped, she tried to see where but the guard was throwing himself around so violently she couldn't tell - Crane seemed to have no trouble keeping his grip. His hands skittering from his face to his chest, his arms and then to his hair. The man's only answer was a scream, words flooding the noise in gibberish as Crane refused to let go. She felt sick, running down the stairs to pull him away. He shook her off, gripping the man's chin and asking the question again.

The dull thud of his head bouncing against the wall interrupted the screams momentarily, only to double in volume with their return. Nicky gritted her teeth, her nerves building with every passing second that they remained on the stair well - it was sickening, yet at the same time she couldn't look away. He was terrified, absolutely terrified with his gaze flickering frantically about himself.

"Stop it!" she screamed and levelled a kick to the back of his leg, causing Crane to stumble before tearing him away. "Enough! Let's go!" Nicky didn't wait any longer before racing up the stairs, pushing past the first henchman who stood gaping before the others got the idea.

* * *

He was _furious_, you didn't have to study psychiatry to know that one.

The henchmen had be forced out a moment before, back into the night as he rounded on her. The mask was still in place, the breathing shallow and hands clenched into fists by his side. She knew what was coming; the thought terrifying her so much she couldn't move, her legs rooted to the spot.

It was Crane, just in a mask; albeit a very pissed off asylum inmate with a questionable medical background, but it was still him.

"What gives you the right?" he started, panting with anger as he paused. "What gives you the right to interfere? You're just doing a job!" A smashed vial hit the opposite wall, the movement so quick she barely caught it.

With a wave of fury he advanced, one hand gripping her neck and forcing her face up as the mist burnt itself into her eyes and up her nose. She coughed violently, throat released but in too much shock to think about catching herself.

She landed hard and finally stopped coughing, staring into the dark corners of the warehouse that warped and looped in front of her eyes. Someone was crying, great wretched sobs with heavy gasps in between. Her mother smiling in the corner, grey skinned and with that bruise on the left side of her face - the way she had looked in her coffin, the way she remained in her mind.

Her own heartbeat, thrumming through her body and pressure inside her head - in her ears, pushing down and distorting the noise around her. The more Nicky thought about it, the surer she became that any second now her brain was going to explode and paint the walls.

She realised the pathetic, contorted sobs were in fact her own.

A pinching grip on her arm had her whimpering, scrabbling away before realising someone coming from behind her too. Footsteps, loud and sure from behind, even feeling the vibrations against the floor that travelled up her spine. She spun on her rear, hands up before her arm was twisted around again and she was facing Scarecrow.

The brief glance she had caught revealed nothing, shadows and nothing more.

"You stupid little girl," he growled - that voice, so familiar. "What do you fear?" She'd heard that voice before but saying something different, shouting at her within the darkness as she'd clawed helplessly at a door. She was 8 again, pathetic and scared with nothing for company but the darkness and fear.

Yet, in the back of her mind she knew it was just a vivid memory. She knew she was sitting in a warehouse, crying like a newborn baby with Scarecrow looming over her.

She was pleading, babbling even as her anxiety grew. For a moment she thought the lights had gone, everything becoming dark as her hands grabbed uselessly at her hair.

"Please, let me out! It's too dark!"

Nicky screamed, a short sound that barely reached her lips before she fainted.

* * *

Everything hurt, including the simple act of thought. Thought made her brain vibrate against her skull, in turn making Nicky grit her teeth and realise the muscles in her jaw were hurting too. She could tell the room was dark - thankfully - through her eyelids and there was absolute silence.

The moment her last memory came back she jumped, regretting the gasp that left her lips as a tear slipped down her cheek. _Ouch, _what had he done to her afterwards? Kicked her around for a while? Thrown her down the stairs?

Repeatedly, if the ache in every muscle in her body was anything to go by.

Something shifted in the corner of the room, making her groan. He was there, just to the left of her and a little away. She closed her eyes tightly, refusing to open them before trying to lay perfectly still.

"You need water," he stated simply in a low voice, taking a step forward yet stopping as the form on the couch growled.

"Fuck you," she ground out, voice so weak it scared her. She was dying, that was the only explanation. A headache so severe it seemed inhuman rattled through her skull, pulsing angrily every other second. It was becoming hard to stay conscious, to listen to the conversation Crane wanted to have.

"Nicky, you need water; the headache you're experiencing right now is through dehydration," His voice was so soft yet clipped that Nicky had to wonder if she was really losing it, how a voice could be soft yet harsh at the same time - if it was just the ringing in her ears or if that was his 'doctor tone'.

The idea made her feel sick - the experiments Ivy had mentioned, to his own patients!

She didn't reply, biting her lip softly as nausea threatened to overcome her. He took another slow, measured step towards her as she heard the soft creak of a plastic bottle. The lid twisted off, bouncing far too noisily against the wood flooring.

The hand sliding around the back of her head made her twist away, a sob coming forth without her consent as her whole body screamed in pain. He tried again, this time a little quicker and lessening the chance of escape. She simply didn't have the energy, too tired and scared to refuse.

The liquid that poured into her mouth was far too cold when swallowed, Nicky only managed it twice before shaking with the stab of pain that squeezed her throat closed. The bottle was taken away a little to rest against her bottom lip, the hand remained for a moment longer.

"I," she paused, listening to the whispers in the dark; the sinister giggle or two that set her on edge. Almost as if her voice had set them off, given them life. "I hate you." It sounded childish, maybe because it was - or maybe because her voice sounded so young and timid - but she could think of nothing more to say.

Too tired to form any other thought, too scared to open her eyes to glare at him. The hand left her head finally, allowing her to lie back fully.

* * *

Her eyes were open before she realised she was awake, silence greeting her ears as she attempted to sit up. She managed to wedge her elbows into the mattress, realising only then that she was now on a bed. The bottled water by her side vanished quickly, barely enough time for her to swallow before she sucked in the next mouthful.

Almost instantly her head cleared, leaving nothing but an ache in her joints accompanied by quivering muscles. The ringing in her ears still persisted, but she could only guess that the hideout was completely silent as she made to get up.

Which, by all accounts is an easy enough thing to do. She succeeded on the third try, throwing herself up and tottering on the spot. With the increased dizziness, she snarled at the voices that whispered and giggled in the silence.

With a sigh she started to shuffle with unsteady legs to her bag, pulling out the first change of clothes she came across. For a while she stared at them, trying to calm her heavy breathing before giving in and slowly - very slowly - getting changed.

She needed to go; get her payment, get out and either find Ivy or find somewhere to stay. Gotham was a big place, the very idea of finding Ivy was ridiculous yet she held onto the hope.

* * *

He was at his desk again, she realised the second she walked onto the factory floor which it's high ceilings. Hunched over his desk, a lone desk lamp shining over yet more plans and schemes. He didn't hear her approach and she didn't want to say more than she needed, so - ever so casually - she let the door close with a thud.

He stilled, spinning in his chair with a calm look.

"You promised me a payment," she stated, bag landing on the side of her foot as she sat on the edge of a workstation - feigning cockiness but feeling nothing but weak and shaky.

"You shouldn't leave yet," he said, ignoring her meagre laugh. "The toxin is still in your-"

"The toxin you gave me?" she interrupted swiftly in a whisper, eyes wide and innocent even as her voice broke and she swallowed quickly. She waited a moment for a reply, feeling anger when he looked neither guilty nor worried. She scoffed, shaking her head and crossing her arms. "Yeah, I need to leave now,"

The glasses were taken off as Crane finally moved, rubbing at his nose before looking to her for a long moment. His face was unreadable; a mask with nothing but piercing blue eyes staring back, scaring yet trapping her at the same time. "You have to understand, Nicky. I'm used to henchmen doing what they're told, when they're told. It's just logical," he said the last with a wave of the hand, gesturing with his glasses.

"Then you should stick to dealing with henchmen," They stared levelly at one another for a long moment, neither speaking as a silent battle started. Nicky was still swaying where she sat, eyes unfocused and everything becoming blurry as she tried to stare for too long. With a groan she gave in, blinking repeatedly and ignoring the flash of movement to her left as best she could.

It was just in her mind, when she looked there was no one there.

"Why did you need me anyway?" she asked and looked to the wall, confusion growing as she thought. "It wasn't exactly complicated and I'm sure you could of found a _'henchman'_," Smirking, she looked down at him before comprehension dawned. A bitter laugh, feeling like an idiot. "It was to give yourself some more study time, right?" He stared for an age, never answering her question and lacing his fingers together in his lap.

"How do you feel?" he asked, voice void of concern. It was back to Dr. Crane yet again, the clipped tones and hard eyes that unsettled her more than the Scarecrow mask.

"Fine, can I have the money now?" An eyebrow was raised as her hand came out expectantly, fingers snapping after Crane merely watched her. "Places to go, people to see," 30 seconds of silence, Crane's lips grew thin as she refused to give in and her face became flushed. "Oh, you know what. Forget it." she turned on the spot, pushing away from the table.

"Nyctophobia," he stated suddenly in an emotionless voice. "The fear of the dark, usually stemming from childhood trauma,"

Nicky stared, caught between hitting him and running out. For a few minutes she gaped, watching as he span a little from left to right and stared at her with calculating eyes. "I knew it, you wanted a patient."

And with that she picked up her bag, giving him one last glare and marched straight out of the hideout into downtown Gotham.

* * *

She remembered one Mr. Lewison from an earlier trip with Ivy, the man had put them up for a little cash and kept quiet about who they were to his other residents - people who had been just as questionable as them.

Like a criminal hotel, the very thought made her grin.

Getting there had been tricky; what with the nausea and dizzy spells, accompanied by the midday sun in her eyes as she glared up at Wayne Tower so far away in the distance. At least she had her trench coat, the collar turned up to hide her face a little more as she skulked like a drunk down the road.

Swaying only slightly, she ignored the whispers in the back of her mind. Also, the looming figures in the shadowed alleyways - after about the 3rd investigation of these figures, she realised it was once again the toxin playing tricks on her.

Eating as she walked, Nicky picked up a far too sugary doughnut and hoped the sugar would give her a little energy. It seemed to work, although it left her mouth feeling dry.

After about an hour and a half, she reached a familiar club called the _'Iceberg'_; lights off and empty with the early hour. Ivy had made her stand on the same corner she stood on now, waiting as the woman collected something from 'some man' that Ivy had never told her the name of.

She didn't care, it was all just details in the end.

She took a left onto a new street, eyes scanning the apartments until she came to a particularly shabby door with browning and dirtied blinds at the windows. Always shut, they'd been swathed in shadows inside.

She knocked after a moments pause, feeling nervous and as if she was being watched. Looking around once revealed people merely carried on with their day, a typical Thursday with working people catching lunches and the busy atmosphere of any city.

Two sharp raps on the peeling paint of the door and she stepped back, rubbing her hand self consciously before forcing herself to calm down. She didn't need to appear so timid, Mr. Lewison had been nice enough on her last visit from what she could recall.

The door creaked a little as it opened an inch or two, revealing the same hazel eyes from her memory. "Can I help you?""Mr. Lewison?" she asked in a scratchy voice, shocked as the door closed suddenly and locks sounded behind. She was about to knock again as the door opened fully, a hand dragging her inside before she could protest.

A lamp was switched on by her side, allowing the older man to inspect her fully. Also allowing Nicky to do the same, albeit just to refresh her memory.

Mr. Lewison - as she'd never been told his first name - his hair always in the same state of disarray, strands falling into his eyes. The shade being a deep brown, with a few grey streaks dotted here and there. Nicky could imagine he would have been handsome in his youth, he still was to a certain extent but the wrinkles around his squinted eyes and the greyness to his skin dulled his appearance slightly. Shabby clothes that served more for comfort than fashion, slipper clad feet and yet an air of contempt radiated from him.

"Nicky?" he asked finally, receiving a scared smile and a watery gaze. The man smiled warmly, waving her down the narrow corridor and into a room to the left. They entered the living room, both sitting on the worn yet comfortable sofa as she finally dropped her bag.

Her emotions seemed to be betraying her, one minute she could control the anger only to find herself on the brink of tears… Followed closely by lethargy and anger once more.

She sighed heavily for a second, feeling the man's eyes on her ratty appearance and stifling the urge to explain it. Explain the way the shadows scared her, the way they jumped and clawed at them both from the walls and danced before her eyes. Really, it was getting a little dull.

"Mr. Lewison, I'm sorry but I couldn't think of anywhere else," she started, turning to face the mildly amused man to her left. "I've got no where else, it's all gone wrong and," she paused, Lewison was grinning with a hand held up for her to stop.

"I saw you on the news not two days ago," he said as if it explained everything, maybe it did to someone like Mr. Lewison. "With that Scarecrow fella, had a falling out?" he teased, shaking his head as Nicky frowned.

"He's an _idiot,_ let's not talk about him," she ignored the other's laughter, short yet melodic and something she'd never heard before.

"I suppose you'll be wanting somewhere to hide out for a while?" Nicky grinned sheepishly, giving a tiny nod. "Alright then, lucky for you the place is deserted right now,"Nicky carried on looking sheepish, giving herself a moment to think of her wording.

"The thing is,"

Mr. Lewison groaned, making to stand yet seating himself once more to the younger woman's words. He turned in his seat, raising an eyebrow. "The thing is?"

"I'm flat out broke right now, I mean it," she added quickly, already pointing at her bag. "This is everything I own, I don't have a dollar,"

"I see," he answered slowly, a short nod once as neither spoke.

"I'll pay you back, I promise. Really_,_ I know it looks suspect but I will," she started, already down to pleading. If stupid Crane had given her the stupid money, she would of quite happily paid the old man - she felt horrid even asking.

Mr. Lewison sighed, waving a hand as if to bat away Nicky's ramblings. "It's alright, I trust you,"

"You do?" He nodded. _"Why?!"_ They both grinned, laughing at the situation as Nicky finally relaxed for the first time since escaping Arkham.


	8. Chapter 8

A.N. Hello everyone, I know this is late yet again but my internet was down until about 20 minutes ago... I lost it for a few weeks, so after hours of angry phonecalls and threats to throw the bloody modem out of the window I have been reconnected. Thank you to everyone who revieved and yes, I did let poor Nicky get sprayed quite early on. But in my mind, someone like Crane would just be looking for an excuse to give her a dose. I hope you all enjoy this chapter (and don't kick my ass for my tardy update!)

**Chapter 8.**

She sat at the worn table in the tiny kitchen of one Mr. Lewison - still, she hadn't learnt his first name - and sipped at her coffee, staring into space. The sandwich before her half eaten, Nicky would take a moment to stare at it before going back to her coffee.

Mr. Lewison was reading the paper, both in an easy silence that stretched on for so long Nicky found herself becoming tired.

She wouldn't sleep yet though, not when her body still thrummed with the toxin of earlier and the shadows danced before her eyes.

She'd just showered, resisting the urge to gush at the man when he'd quite happily handed her two fresh towels as soon as she'd asked about freshening up. Her guilt was building, so much so that she found herself thinking up a plan to rob some bank.

Which one, she had no idea… But _any_ would do right now.

She just needed to get out, go home or - even better - get far away from everything and everyone familiar. The idea of tracking Ivy down didn't fill her with joy, something which confused her to no end. Ivy was a constant, even if sometimes she was icy and completely rude to her. It had offended Nicky before - the cold comments, the glares and the conversations that were few and far between - leaving her feeling like a burden to the red head, but in the end it was just her way and it had grown on her.

"What's the matter?" Her companion asked suddenly, paper folded away to one side as he glanced at Nicky with a frown to match her own. A shake of the head, widening her eyes and knowing exactly how innocent she could make herself look. "Don't give me that, you've been glaring at my oven for the past 20 minutes,"

Nicky laughed lightly, shaking her head and staring at her coffee instead. She could still feel the man's eyes on her, finally making her look up once again to the questioning gaze. She caved, a sigh escaping as she shifted in her seat.

"I was just thinking about how to pay you," she paused to glare at the table top, clenching her jaw angrily. "I was supposed to get paid today, it fell through,"

"Crane?" he asked lightly, smirking as Nicky's jaw clenched again without her realising. "I know you said not to mention him, but I'm curious," Paper discarded completely, he leaned forward with a look in his eyes that suddenly made him look a lot younger. More alive. "Why him?"

"Pardon?"

A quiet laugh, almost a whisper. "Don't take this the wrong way kid, okay?" A short nod. "You escape from Arkham, away from the loons, away from people you don't fit in with and yet team up with one. I can understand Ivy; she knew you before, with your mom," Quickly the subject of her mother was dropped, letting Nicky know that Ivy had filled the 'landlord' in on the details. She tried not to glare angrily at the idea. "Why team up with another?"

"I didn't," A shrug. "He got me out, and I sort of paid him back with a job,"

"But he promised to pay you for it? He chose you?" Nicky nodded a little, watching him lean back in his chair. "And then didn't pay up, did something happen?" Studying Nicky's face as he finished. Dark circles under her eyes, pale face with the odd blotch of pink here and there. She looked tired, skittish and just a little drained.

From what he could remember of her only other visit - and he was quite proud of his memory - the girl had been adrenaline fuelled and happy, quick as a bullet and eager to get things done. A contrast to the woman before him now, shooting glances around herself and keeping unusually quiet.

Nicky just shook her head fiercely, thankfully the older man left the subject at that.

* * *

She trudged upstairs, feet feeling far too heavy and her legs too weak as she leaned against the rail. Mr. Lewison was making his way upstairs, clearing away their cups and turning off the one light they had on downstairs. "Goodnight, Mr. Lewison," she called, leaning over the railing before slowly walking a little closer to the room she had been given. The house had been stripped, any room available housed a single bed. Thankfully, the room she would be sleeping in had originally been a bedroom and so a little bigger than the one she had the last time.

A room that had reminded her of a cupboard.

"G'night, kid," he called as Nicky made her way upstairs, grinning a little as she did so. Although Mr. Lewison looked barely in his mid 40's, he still reminded her of a grandfather of some sort. She couldn't really remember her own, just a man with grey hair and a smile coming forth from her memories.

She opened the door and walked inside, a few strands of light filtering through the blinds. Someone giggled, yet she paid it no attention as she recognised it as another lingering effect of the drug. A shadow moved before her eyes, causing Nicky to look as her hand sought the light switch on the wall beside her.

With a flick, everything was bathed in a sickly yellow from the dusty bulb and illuminated her sparse room. Her bag was on her bed where she had left it earlier, she walked forward before rooting through for her toothbrush. Grabbing a few items, she walked back onto the landing and waited patiently outside the bathroom as the only other inhabitant of the house occupied the room.

She waited for a few short minutes, leaning against the wall daydreaming as Mr. Lewison exited the room and gave her a smile. She walked inside, getting ready for sleep and washing her face vigorously. Peering into the mirror, she grimaced comically at her pasty reflection.

Back into her room she threw her things onto the bed, shivering suddenly as a light breeze filled the room. A frown, listening to the light tapping of the blinds swinging slightly in the wind and hitting against each other.

With slow steps, she edged towards the only window in the room and placed a hand against them. They stopped clattering yet the breeze chilled her fingers, filtering through the gaps from the now opened window behind. Biting her lip, Nicky lifted them quickly and peered outside to the brick wall from the neighbouring house.

Down was an alley, deserted now.

She closed the window, fighting the dread within as she looked around the room. Taking a peak under the bed, she nearly laughed at herself. Nothing there but dust, she turned her attention to the rest of the room. It had no other hiding spaces, barely furnished as it was. She shrugged once, landing on the bed and repacking her bathroom supplies.

Opening the bag with a tug, she gasped and choked on nothing but air.

Sitting on top was a small bundle of money.

* * *

The morning left her feeling more tired than before she had slept, waking every now and then to check her window repeatedly during the night. He hadn't come back, yet Nicky's mind couldn't stop throwing scenarios at her.

It had been three whole days, yet she hadn't allowed herself to truly relax at all. Just in case. She couldn't be sure if Crane was out to scare her or 'pay her back' for leaving, in a mind like his her leaving could be some kind of betrayal.

What with the fear toxin only now leaving her system completely after nights of jumping at shadows and breaking out in cold sweats with every creaking floorboard, she slumped heavily over her cup and groaned.

Someone chuckled, Mr. Lewison gave her shoulder a little pat before pottering around the kitchen and effectively ignoring the state of the girl. "Oh," she woke up a little, remember her unexpected present of a few nights before. "It looks like I can pay you after all,"

Mr. Lewison didn't look as reassured as Nicky had been hoping, if anything the man looked confused and suspicious. He turned fully and allowed Nicky to catch more of his expression than the shadowy profile of before, one eyebrow quirked.

"Did you go out last night?" She shook her head no. "Then how did you get this money?"A moments pause and Nicky already knew that he wouldn't believe her next words, just by the way he crossed his arms the second she bit her lip.

"Found it in my bag, couple of days back"

"Found it?" Nicky nodded sharply, rubbing at her eyes and blinking furiously. "Don't lie to me, kid. Did Crane turn up?" he scolded her a little, voice just short of fatherly.

"I think so," she shrugged, lost in thought until Mr. Lewison leaned against the table and frowned at her.

"You think so?"

"I got back and it was there, I dunno how," Silence as the man before her carried on frowning, waiting for more. Nicky sighed, giving in and admitting defeat as gracefully as she could. "He came in through the window a few days back,"

He nodded and sat before her, staring into space over her shoulder with a worrying expression on his face. After a moment Nicky went back to sipping her coffee, zoning out once more until the he tapped a finger against her hand."Do you want my opinion, kid?" he asked and waited for her nod in return. "Go home, get out of Gotham and as far away from all of this" And to Nicky's absolute surprise he swiped her fringe out of her eyes, gaining her eye contact and giving her a somewhat knowing grin. "You stay here and you'll end up like the rest of them; the odd job here, a bit of money there and even longer stretches in Arkham,"

"I won't,"

"Nicky, love," he laughed to her wide eyed expression at his tone; light and knowledgeable. "You stay and you'll have no choice."

* * *

Mr. Lewison placed the money in his trouser pocket, not bothering to count it as Nicky swung her bag over her shoulder and adjusted it's position. It felt awkward, after such a short period of time Nicky felt the need to hug the man before her yet felt the gesture may have been a little over the top.

She had waited all day for the darkness, the streets slowly growing eerily quiet as she peered eagerly through the blinds. She enjoyed the older man's company, but sitting in the same squat room was making her antsy and with her mind toxin-free she needed something to do.

"Well," she put her hand out, waiting until Mr. Lewison laughed and shook it. "Thank you for helping me out," Hands returning to her pockets, she smiled a little and watched the man nod his head and wave her comment away.

"What's the plan then?" Nicky shrugged, unsure herself. "If you don't know, maybe you shouldn't leave yet,"

"I'll just go to Ivy," she muttered, already dreading the stern words and anger she would get from the fiery redhead. That was, if she actually found her.

"But you don't know where she is," He was right of course, she had at least two days until the woman would be returning home.

"Somewhere with plants, a garden centre maybe."

She could hear Mr. Lewison laugh just as the door closed quietly behind her. With the man unable to see, she slouched a little and tried to think. Did she really want to find Ivy? What choice did she have, all things considered? The amount of money she had wasn't going to last long, especially if she was _'on the run'_ too.

She was far too tired to even think about stealing, never mind planning any little bank robberies of her own.

It seemed like the only choice, so with a heavy sigh she walked away and onto the deserted sidewalk. It'd mean getting the dreaded shot as well, something she had effectively averted until now. It wasn't long before she passed the Iceberg again, the queue heaving as she tilted her head downwards and passed unnoticed.

To her credit, she didn't automatically start to panic when footfalls sounded behind her; matching her pace exactly and carrying on even as she turned the corner.

It meant nothing; someone was behind her, so what? She found herself automatically balling her fists and searching out the nearest safe spot, thinking how the steps were too heavy to be Crane's. Not like that was any comfort either way, both would end badly.

It wasn't until she heard the footfalls start to jog that she darted into an alleyway and ran flat out, dodging the odd trash can and kicking off of a wall in her haste. Only when she realised no sound behind did she chance a look, grabbing onto the drainpipe at a corner to spin on the spot with her momentum. The large figure was standing at the other end of the alley, arms crossed and facing away from her.

Only then did she realise the trap, a split second before she turned and found herself face to face with Crane. His eyes flashed in the scarce streetlights, with every shift reflecting at a different angle. Without thinking she punched out, missing his mouth - where she had been aiming - and catching him partly on the jaw and ear.

He jumped back, a hand flying to the offended part as Nicky made to run on. Already she was regretting her decision before finding herself forced into the wall by a hand on her back, grazing her cheek on the brick and hissing slightly.

The scuffle that followed must of looked very comical, both trying and failing to get a good hold of the other in the darkness - only to find the other one wriggling out of their grasp a second later. It wasn't until Crane placed both his hands on either side of her face did she still slightly, shocked and confused until her head was forced back into the wall.

"You don't want to be doing this with me," Crane muttered and she paused, his voice not it's usual calm tone with the edge of malice. This was something else; gravely and threatening as his nails dug uncomfortable into her neck and cheek. _This isn't Crane_, she thought in a detached manner as her head bounced yet again of the wall behind.

"Bastard!" she squeaked, vision swimming as her ears rung. Both stood breathing heavily, Nicky finding herself staring unseeingly into the dark and refusing the urge to grope around with her hands. It seemed to take a while for the shadowy figure to regain composure, straightening his posture and a hand running through his hair.

"I'm guessing by the lack of fear in your current state that darkness, by itself, is not the problem," The doctor voice again, she mentally whined. Rolling her eyes in the dark, she prodded gingerly at her head and felt the sticky spot of blood in her hair.

"Is that what this was about?" she asked, a bitter laugh in her voice as she raised her head and stared into darkness. "Another little diagnosis?" With that she huffed, pushing away from the wall and swaying down the alleyway towards the silhouette of their 'guard'.

She needed to get away from him, with his changing personas and glares she could literally feel in the dark.

"If it was so easy for me to steer you into a trap as simple as this one," Nicky stopped and turned swiftly at his words, he was walking casually with her; the light showing a nice scratch on his cheek, the paper-thin line of blood looking black. "What makes you think you'll make it anywhere near Ivy's?"

She glared, receiving a twist of the lips in return as Crane fought the urge to smirk. He'd been spying on her, obviously Ivy had been right with the lunatics idea of 'sport'. By the twitch of his lips, she knew he was on the verge of chuckling outright. Of course, he knew as well as she did that Ivy was out of the questions.

Too many problems with that little idea, her only idea.

"Get lost, Crane," she walked on, groaning audibly as he walked with her. The henchman at the end let them pass, eying the two after their brief scuffle as Nicky resumed her walk.

"I have a proposition,"

"No," The speed of her march increased, ignoring the dry chuckle from her side.

"Hear me out,"

"No,"

An arm was thrown out in front of her, blocking her path as Crane came to stand before her. He didn't look amused, in fact he looked bored. "Come now Nicky, let's not pretend," he sighed as she carried on staring. "You have no idea where you're going, you're low on cash and now you have an injury to the head,"

"Oh yes, thanks for that," she growled as he bowed his head slightly, raising an eyebrow as Nicky's fist shook by her side. "Is there a point to this or do you just like the sound of your own voice that much?"

"You enjoy the thrill, don't pretend you don't," he sighed as she scoffed once, denial on the top of her tongue. "Until Ivy makes her presence known, why not make yourself useful?"

"Oh, another guinea pig for your _crazy spray_?" she quipped, jabbing a finger into his chest and wincing slightly as he didn't budge an inch. "No thanks, I've had my fill,"

"If you hadn't of acted up, none of that would of happened," Nicky could just see the little flicker of anger on his features, the way his eyes pierced her instantly and his jaw clenched. Yet at the moment, she was too angry to care.

"Acted up? Acted up! I'm sorry when did I turn into a child?" she seethed, an inch from his face as their breaths mingled in an all too intimate fashion. She could feel herself shaking, anger replacing her lethargy as she fought the urge to lash out.

"When you started acting like one!" Both stood glaring for a moment, Nicky on the verge of shouting back before Crane sighed and leaned back. "Listen, Nicky. Until Ivy turns up, how would you like to keep out of Arkham?"

"Very much so," said mockingly, both falling silent and suddenly very interested in a nearby shop window as a elderly couple walked past. They gave them both strange looks in the reflection, passing by with confused glances between themselves.

"I can help there," Crane spoke again as they passed, voice low as Nicky carried on staring unseeingly at her reflection in the glass.

"Another job?" A scoff, she caught Crane glaring at the side of her head in the reflection. "Going to scare another women you happen to have a vendetta against?"

"Actually, I'm low on cash and was wondering how much you knew about electronic safes."

* * *

The warehouse was silent as Nicky sat prodding unhappily at her bleeding scalp, she knew it wasn't helping matters at all but the temptation to 'check on it' always overpowered her will to leave it alone. She'd been sitting in the same swivel chair for about half an hour, not daring to get up with Crane so wrapped up in ordering his henchmen around.

He'd probably try to rope her in.

Something plastic landed in on the desk, flung over her shoulder as she stared down at the smiling face on an ID card. She frowned at it for far too long, turning to peer at Crane as he came to her side. The woman on the front looked nothing like her, sure she was a brunette and with a smile that seemed just a tad manic. Other than that, the woman was older, heavier and with a broader nose.

"And this would be?"

"An ID card," he stated in a bored voice, elaborating to her mocking look. "Your ID card,"

Nicky flipped it over, staring at the black data strip on back and the black printed letter underneath. "Gotham Bank, I get it. I have an issue,"

"Already?" he groaned with humour in his voice and turned, expecting the childish grin that was unanimous with Nicky and only receiving a straight face in return. She wasn't going to play with him anymore, he wasn't someone she should joke with - no matter how much fun it was.

"Start as you mean to go on," A painfully tight smile. "What if someone looks at the picture? I mean, I dunno how committed you think I am to the_ 'cause'_ but I'm not going to put on thirty pounds just so you have a bit of cash," Hands fumbling with the card, she turned it over and over again; watching the woman's grinning face on one side instead of Crane standing beside her.

"No one checks them," he offered, an almost audible shrug by her side as Nicky half nodded. Both stayed silent for a very long time, only turning in sync as the warehouse door opened and a henchmen came in carrying a bag of take out. "Hungry?" he asked, taking a step towards the man before stopping and waiting.

Nicky couldn't deny just how hungry she really was, her stomach making sure of that with a painful growl at the thought of food. She stood and walked with Crane, watching two henchmen discuss rather heatedly exactly who had ordered what.

* * *

"You'll be coming in here," A slim finger tapped against a blue print. "No one will look twice at you,"

"Thanks," she muttered sarcastically, earning herself a roll of the eyes in return. She couldn't tell whether he was jesting with her or if he really was growing tired.

"The thinking is if you've made it past security, you're meant to be there. That card is all they need, then you're just a face in a crowd. We'll have someone keeping watch from our own cameras,"

"Someone will realise us leaving," An image of her running with a swag bag flittered through her mind. "Bags of cash under our arms, your," A hand waved around between them, ignoring the mildly put out look of the other. "_Lackeys_ don't blend in too well either,"

"I'll be creating a diversion upstairs," Nicky nodded once as she carried on following the path as laid on the plan before her. "It's nowhere near as tight as before, you'll have time to spare. As long as your inside before I start, it'll be fine,"

"Oh, automatic lock down?" A brisk nod. "Right, I take it you've got a way out planned too?"

"I'm afraid this is where things get a little crass," he muttered removing his glasses, Nicky stared at him for a moment before catching the sheepish glance he kept giving her in return. "We're going to blow a hole in the wall," Nicky laughed suddenly, quiet compared to her usual as she shook her head. "It's the quickest and most logical way, we'll have a secure van waiting outside,"

"Okay by me." she shook her head once more, becoming edgy as Crane carried on looking expectantly to her from her side. Resisting the urge to shift uncomfortably in her seat, she gave a glare whilst turning her head away even more. The atmosphere had stayed cold, Nicky refraining from her usual jokes and Crane seemed to enjoy the serious tone.

God knew, they'd got a lot more planning done.

It helped to be angry, made her feel better as the mantra of _'Do it, get out and go to Ivy's'_ rang through her head. He paused for a moment, biting at his lip whilst giving her a critical once over. She threw a glare back evenly, confused as Crane seemed to fight the urge to laugh at her expression. "I could find someone else, true. Although I do prefer your company to one of them," A finger jabbed without looking over his shoulder, Nicky watching the burly men flounder around behind her trying to organise their multitude of gear. "You're not completely brainless,"

"Thanks," she laughed sharply, her usual shout of hilarity coming back as she tried to remain angry. Really, that had nearly been a joke. He smiled, one of his usual tight lipped affairs that she was becoming used to… It seemed like the closest he came to smiling.

He was still Crane, her mind urged - the same man who had shot her full of that horrible fear toxin in a fit of rage.

"May I ask,"

"No," she made to stand almost instinctively - all laughter gone from her voice as she realised his plan. Gasping aloud as Crane grabbed at her sweater sleeve, receiving a withering look and tugged back down. Rubbing a hand over his jaw, she chose to stare at the thin scratch that was only just starting to scab over.

The icy blue eyes in her peripheral carried on glaring until she caught his gaze, a faked look of innocence within them. "Nicky, I'm not analysing you,"

"How would I know?" The arm within his grasp was tugged harshly to one side, effectively breaking his grip as she crossed her arms and leaned away. "Listen, I know it's your _thing_ but I don't want to sit here talking to you like we're friends. Only to later regret everything I've ever said, just in case you can use it,"

Crane frowned, following her rambled sentence with difficulty as she fumed silently in her seat. It seemed like forever before the icy atmosphere relaxed a little, Crane leaning away from her and giving Nicky the space she craved. "I won't, I'm not" he swore, both staring for a long moment as Nicky waited for his look of innocence to slip. It didn't, and so with a begrudging nod he continued. "How did you start all this?"

"Hacking?" He nodded once, allowing her an age to stare at the table with a frown. "I got chicken pox as a kid, bed ridden for three weeks with no one but aunty Josie for company," she pulled a face, shocked by Crane's less-than-menacing smile in return. "I just got playing with stuff, taking it apart and having a peak inside. First was my alarm clock, mum wasn't too happy about that. Took a few months before I could put it back together again but I got it in the end,"

"How old were you?"

"Eleven," A shrug to his raised eyebrows; she sure as hell wasn't going to tell him how she'd spend hours on end after school, occupying herself and staying out of the way of her father. "After that it was only a small leap to programming, all it really consists of is understanding commands and how to use them yourself," she finished and chanced a glance at Crane, the man looking satisfied with her answer - and automatically making Nicky question his motive.

It seemed like an innocent question; sure it was a childhood memory, but one that seemed harmless enough. She debated for a moment or two on his motive, giving up and reminding herself that Crane's motives were something she had no understanding of.

And frankly, didn't _want _to understand.

For something to do, she scanned the blueprints once more; she'd looked through them for so long now that she saw nothing but lines and notes. With the atmosphere a little bit more relaxed, Nicky debated for only a moment with her next question. "Will you be using Scarecrow for this?"

He froze, the note of trepidation in her voice not going unnoticed. For a second she thought he would ignore her completely, either that or taunt her some more with a diagnosis on her fears. The moment passed and Nicky found herself turning to face him, catching the way any expression had all but vanished from his face.

"All you have to remember is your part and I promise," he paused, emphasis landing heavily on his last words. "We will not have a repeat performance of last time." A tight lipped smile, Nicky found herself returning the gesture slightly - although a little unsure of the understanding they had reached.


End file.
